It’s so depressing to open the refrigerator, grab a package of ground beef, and try to prepare mom’s famous meatloaf or taco filling only to discover the ground beef has turned brown. Does that mean you shouldn’t prepare it for the family? You probably won’t feel as though you are making a positive contribution to the zero waste movement if you throw it out. Not to mention, its a waste of money.
According to the U. S. Department of Agriculture, it’s common for ground beef to change color while it’s on the grocery store shelf and in your refrigerator. The interior parts may appear brown or even gray even though the exterior is bright red or pink. This is typical and the result of low oxygen levels. This does not at all mean that your meat is spoiled in and of itself.
Interestingly, oxygen also contributes to the meat’s flavor, which is what gives it its cherry-red color, when it interacts with the meat’s surface. But that doesnt last forever.
What will bad ground beef smell like?
Spoiled ground beef will have a pungent, putrid smell. Generally, ground beef that is safe to eat has little to no odor.
Can ground beef smell a little but not expired?
All ground beef has a slight aroma of iron. While the smell of ground beef getting close to its expiration date may be slightly more noticeable, it is still safe to eat. However, a product should be thrown away if it has a strong, noticeable odor because it is probably spoiled.
Is it OK to cook grey ground beef?
It is typical for the outside of a package of ground beef to be red or pink, while the interior may be grey or brown. This is brought on by a deficiency in oxygen in the beef’s center.
However, if the outside of the ground beef is grey, it should not be cooked or eaten and should be thrown away.
Ground beef is very popular but highly perishable.
You can tell if your ground beef has gone bad using a few easy methods, such as observing changes in color, odor, and texture.
Despite the fact that the bacteria that cause meat to spoil are typically not harmful, when it goes bad, other disease-causing microorganisms may proliferate. You should always thoroughly cook meat and stay away from consuming undercooked or spoiled ground beef to lower your risk of illness.
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- Cooper, JV, et al. Communication quickly: Effects of modern lighting on the oxidation of fresh ground beef pubmed. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/27898846/.
- Ground beef and food safety. (2016).fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/ground-beef-and-food-safety
- Iulietto, MF, et al. (2015) Meat spoilage: A review of a neglected change brought on by bacteria that produce ropy slime tandfonline. com/doi/full/10. 4081/ijas. 2015. 4011.
- Weinroth, MD, et al. (2019). Changes in the microbiome of ground beef result from antimicrobial decontamination procedures and product storage ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC6550395/.
Our experts closely follow the health and wellness sector, and whenever fresh information is released, we update our articles.
Jerlyn Jones, MS MPA RDN LD CLT
Natalie Butler, RD, LD
Christina Guzik, BA, MBA
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FAQ
How can you tell if brown ground beef is bad?
The brown color doesn’t mean the meat spoiled. The meat should still be fine when cooked to a safe temperature as long as it hasn’t gone bad when it’s smelled, slimy, or sticky, and it otherwise smells and feels fresh.
Is ground beef okay if brown but smells fine?
Verify the Color If the ground beef is both inside and out gray, it has probably gone bad. A simple sniff test will confirm that for you. Additionally, any areas of the ground beef that are tinted white or blue can signify mold and should be discarded.