\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Meat defrosted in the refrigerator can be re-frozen without cooking, although some quality may be lost. A whole week has passed, and that package of ground beef is still chilling in the back of your refrigerator. If the contamination is bad enough, you have vomiting and diarrhea to look forward to. Here are 4 ways to tell whether your ground beef has gone bad. Fresh, raw ground beef should be red due to its levels of oxymyoglobin a pigment formed when a protein called myoglobin reacts with oxygen (3). If your meat smells rancid, it most likely is. The freezer can last the meat life and make it safe to consume even after a couple of days have passed. The red color in meat comes as a result of the protein in meat called myoglobin, which turns into oxymyoglobin and produces a vivid red color when in contact with oxygen. After that date has passed, there is a good chance it will go bad and spoiled. This helps prevent spoilage. Fresh meat usually has a mild smell or no smell at all. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Not only will this allow the meat to cook more evenly, but you will find that the vacuum sealing odor has also disappeared. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Its safest to never eat raw or spoiled ground beef. The mold has started to grow and it is unsafe to be consumed. My granddaughter suggested I google "ground chuck gray", which I did & chose your site. If it smells like rotten and rancid, then discard it right away. Meat has a natural moist feel to it, however this is a clean feeling. Salmonella and STEC are the most common bacteria associated with food poisoning from ground beef. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. If you are in a hurry, here it is a short list of the signs to have in mind to find out if the meat is safe to eat or not: Lets jump to each one of them and get into more details: This is pretty straightforward for most people. Whoops! Food poisoning can cause unpleasant symptoms ranging from nausea to vomiting. What does off beef smell like? However, not all red meats have the same color. Step 3: Wipe Down and Sanitize the Freezer This article takes a close look at mold in food and whether. The interior of raw ground meat may be greyish brown due to a lack of exposure to oxygen. Disease-causing microorganisms grow rapidly in food thats been left at room temperature and are more likely to occur in spoiled food (6). This is a detailed review of beef (the meat from cattle), looking at its nutritional properties and health effects. Some ways that wil help you determine whether the meat has spoiled include: When you remove the vacuum packed meat from the refrigerator, be sure to check that the meat is still tightly sealed in the pouch. Cooked ground beef sometimes gets a greenish tone when it goes bad. It accounts for about 62% of all beef sold in the United States (1). These Are the Healthiest Cuts to Choose. But, color changes are not the most accurate way to tell if the steak is bad or not. Bad meat is likely to have notable discolorations. There are three easy ways you can immediately check to see if your chicken has peaked far past it's prime once it's stored properly. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. If after 30 minutes the meat appears to be a grey or brown unnatural color, and is still giving an offensive odor, then the meat has probably spoiled. Executive Chef. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Disclamer FuriousGrill is reader-supported. Even with all the strict measures in place to ensure that quality is maintained throughout the whole meat processing procedure, ocassionally a bad piece of meat makes its way into the system and it is nobodys fault. Fresh and frozen meat has a date that is intended to be sold and to be consumed. Once it goes bad, its no longer safe to eat. Cooking and eating spoiled pork, old chicken or any other bad meat isn't guaranteed to make you sick, though. The sickest Ive ever been in 45 years was from eating meat that after its cooked its totally good bullshit. Last medically reviewed on February 22, 2023. Anything more than that, it is not safe. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Color changes are completely normal for fresh meats, so it is better to know a couple of different ways to help you tell if the steak has gone bad or not. If you want to learn how to prevent your meat from spoiling, keep reading the article! It's slimy. For example, ground meat is only good for 1-2 days after defrosting, while chicken breasts can last up to a week. However, it can play an important role to determine if the meat is fresh or not. Home Tips & Tricks How to Tell if Steak is Bad Tips to Spot Raw or Frozen Steak. Ground beef can be refrigerated and safely eaten up to 2 days past this date (3, 6). Bad meat is likely to have notable discolorations. Easy to read, but what I like the most is it was very informative, answered all my question and then. Once the hamburger has been freezing can you refreeze it without cooking it first? The scent changes due to the increased growth of spoilage bacteria, such as Lactobacillus spp. Approved. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. If it is not stored properly, has been in the refrigerator or freezer for a long time, then the meat will eventually go bad and become spoiled. This can have happened prior to the meat being packed or after. An air hole can occur for reasons such as the original heat seal not being strong enough to fully seal the bag, a slight crinkle in the bag when it was sealed, a minute hole in the pouch that was used prior to sealing, or a minute hole being pierced sometime after sealing. "Different meat has different smells," said . Throw your meat away if it has a bad odor, especially if the meat's expiration date has passed. It's. Thank you. Here are 23 healthy foods that dont need to be refrigerated. "Fresh, raw chicken should have a pink, fleshy color. Refrigerating a steak at a later date is a good option if you want to store it for a couple of days. So, it is essential to place your ground beef inside a fridge or a freezer before the two-hour time limit. Slime is pretty grim in any situation, but it's a particularly bad sign if it's on your steak. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Replace food in the freezer and return it to freeze mode, or plug it back in. Sell-by and expiration dates tell you the best time to eat ground beef. Next, you need to examine the color of the steak. In general, steak can last 3 to 5 days in the fridge. If it smelt bad before cooking and smells bad during cooking Its probably bad! Dont eat expired or unrefrigerated meat. We prepared a short list with a couple of ways to prevent the meat from spoiling. Not wanting to be completely out of the trade, I have created this blog to help teach others all about meat, cooking and simple butchering techniques that can be done in the home kitchen environment. Firstly, the fact that your nose has told you that something doesnt smell right is the first big clue. Thawed ground pork shouldn't have any smell. Ground beef is very popular but highly perishable. Take a cooler along to the store with you with a few ice blocks inside. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The FDA states that: Meat that is left at 40 degrees F for longer than this amount of time will slowly start decomposing. Outbreaks of infections related to these bacteria occur fairly frequently in the United States (1, 3, 12, 13). Green and gray-green tints or spots are usually signs of bacterial growth. If the meat is bad, then it is a breeding ground for a lot of harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, Bacillus, Escherichia coli, etc. As meat goes bad, it usually takes on grayish undertones. Wash drawers or racks in a similar way and replace them in the freezer. Instead, cup your hand near the meat and move the hand towards your face to get a whiff of the meat. After rinsing and patting dry the meat and allowing it to stand, the natural color should return to the meat within the 30 minutes airing time. The USDA says that food can technically be kept at zero degrees Fahrenheit indefinitely. This improves tenderness and flavor. But, even though these two bacteria are killed with heat, there are still toxins remaining in the meat. If the ground beef is gray on the inside and outside, it most likely has spoiled. Anything in between these two ranges is in the Danger Zone and will start to develop bacteria. "Just didn't know what to do if meat smells sour and slightly grey. After passing the look and touch tests, then it's time to use your nose. If the smell is strong and off putting, and doesnt reduce after 30 minutes of airing, then you may need to look a little more closely to make sure it is not spoiled. If you think your ground pork is no longer safe to eat, it's time to discard it . Well, mince meat goes through a number of stages during its shelf life, transforming from the bright red colour seen on supermarket shelves to a tinged browny-grey colour. This article has been viewed 515,308 times. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This odor is released when the pouch is opened, but provided the meat has been stored correctly and is within its use by date, the odor is unlikely to be caused by spoilage.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'yourmeatguide_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',149,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-yourmeatguide_com-medrectangle-3-0'); if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'yourmeatguide_com-box-4','ezslot_2',147,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-yourmeatguide_com-box-4-0');As mentioned previously, it is perfectly normal for your vacuum sealed meat to have an odor to it when you first open the package. This article has been viewed 2,544,399 times. Dont cook with ground beef thats more than 3 days past its sell-by date. Freeze it if you dont plan to eat it anytime soon. It stayed gray. How long the meat was left to hang prior to being butchered and packed can also affect the shelf life of the vacuum sealed meat. Meat Safety: Storing and Handling Meat, Poultry, and Fish, Top 9 Foods Most Likely to Cause Food Poisoning, Beef 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Effects, Can I Still Eat It: How to Safely Store Meat, Does Red Meat Have Health Benefits? "I bought a 4 lb. If you defrosted the meat in a bowl or water or in the microwave, it's no longer safe to refreeze. Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. There are 20 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Believe me, food poisoning is very unpleasant and can even be fatal, its just not worth the risk. It might also be on the mushy side. Even though we explained with details all the signs of a bad steak, here it is a step-by-step guide for you to follow and check if the meat is good or not. Hot dogs can be kept in the fridge for one to two weeks. If it smells rancid, strong, or unpleasant, the meat has probably gone bad and should be thrown away. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Read on for tips on storing ground beef to keep it from spoiling! My gut instinct said throw it out! Do this gently in a bowl of water and try not to splash the water as you may inadvetently be spreading bacteria if the meat juices to work surfaces in the area. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Do not taste questionable meat to check if it is spoiled. To avoid spreading bacteria from one surface to another, wash your hands thoroughly after touching raw meat.