WATCH: What It Means When Your Ground Beef Turns Gray. Hint: It’s not bad yet. Smaller ice crystals will do less damage. This creates metmyoglobin, which is responsible for the meat turning grayer than your grandpa. This isn't an indication that the beef is old or bad or that it's unsafe to eat. 6. Southern Living is a registered trademark of, These Haircuts Are Going To Be Huge in 2021, 7 Paint Colors We’re Loving for Kitchen Cabinets in 2020, 50 Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. ‘Tis the season to ditch your all-white palette in favor of something a little bolder and brighter. Your email address will not be published. Or does it have a bad smell? For best results, use ground beef within one to two days of purchase, or freeze it in its original packaging for up to four months. Yeah that’s cool. After taking it out and letting it thaw, it looks fairly red on the outside, but brown on the inside. Ground beef turned white when thawed in sink, is it bad now? If the ground beef is gray on the inside and outside, chances are, it has spoiled. Please join this discussion about when is ground beef bad within the Diet & Bodybuilding category. Again, those spots aren’t unsafe, but they’ll be tasteless and chewy; you’ll want to trim them away either before or after cooking. Southern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. Ring in healthy year with pork, sauerkraut, Whole grains turn up in surprising places, Chow Line: Grow your own produce year-round in Ohio, Chow Line: Black licorice warnings and tips for safe Halloween celebrations, Do not (I repeat) do not rinse the turkey, How to help your child eat a healthy diet. What yall think . For faster thawing, submerge raw meat in cold water, using a leak-proof bag, changing the water every 30 minutes. Cooked meat, poultry, and seafood can be stored in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days. It smells OK, but it doesn’t look very appetizing and I wonder if it’s safe to eat. Is it dangerous to eat raw or undercooked ground beef? I pealed away all the white meat and discarded it, but I am pregnant and don't want to danger my baby, also I don't want to hurt my company. Spam protection has stopped this request. Required fields are marked *. When the surface of the meat comes into contact with oxygen, it turns red. I have some thawing in the fridge and forgot about it. Ground beef should be kept in the refrigerator — in the coldest part — for only one or two days before being cooked. You reach for the plastic-wrapped container of ground beef that's been in the refrigerator for a few days, and—oh, no!—the meat has turned an unappealing shade of gray. For longer-term storage, you should freeze ground beef no later than two days after purchasing it. Regardless of the color, if the meat smells neutral, it should be ok to eat. Check the color. Don't chuck that chuck…yet. it took about a hour to thaw. Is it? Graying is a natural process that occurs as beef continues to oxidize, but if there is any sticky residue or it smells funky, toss it. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. If using cold water, place the meat in an airtight bag and submerge in the bowl of cold water. Spoilage is also caused by bacteria, but the bacteria that cause spoilage will not make you sick. To minimize the chance that these bacteria could multiply and thereby increase the risk they could cause illness, be sure ground beef is stored at 40 degrees F or lower, cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, and otherwise handled properly. If it is a little gray on the inside, that's probably fine. I thawed my ground beef in warm water. Never thaw ground beef in the microwave or by leaving it out at room temperature. But ground beef that’s not exposed to oxygen — like the meat that’s on the interior — will often lose its red color after a few days. Your email address will not be published. Inside the package, however, the meat eventually turns brown because it no longer has contact with the air. So I come back a couple hours later, maybe 5 (after work) and the ground beef is in a water bath in the baggie. Ground meat will be ready to cook in one or two days; whole, bone-in roasts may take up to five days to defrost. Because the liquids in the meat dissolve oxygen, there's no way, short of packaging the meat in a totally oxygen-free atmosphere, of avoiding it. You see, that gray color isn’t so much when it’s defrosting or thawing, as it’s being (or been) exposed to the air. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Trust all of your available senses, the experts said, but … That's right—bright red, the color we associate with beef, isn't an indicator of freshness. The trendy haircuts you’ll be seeing everywhere next year. Why is that? If your butcher sells ground beef to order, you may notice that when he or she scoops out a portion of meat, the ground beef toward the bottom of the container (that is not exposed to oxygen) looks gray, which understandably, may cause you to worry. A simple sniff test will confirm that for you. Neither text, nor links to other websites, is reviewed or endorsed by The Ohio State University. If it's been vacuum sealed at the store, it could still look slightly purple. The plastic wrap covering the ground beef you see in the grocery store is permeable, allowing some oxygen to seep through and keep the meat on the exterior red. This color change alone does not mean the product is spoiled (see explanation in question 2). While thawing under cold running water is acceptable for most frozen foods, doing so with ground beef isn't recommended. To keep the color from changing quickly and to make it last longer before turning rancid, seal the meat and keep light from hitting it. The golden rule? It may look less appetizing but is safe. Chances are, it is perfectly edible. The redness you’re seeing in the meat is the oxygen in the air binding to the iron-rich myoglobin in the beef. Most likely, it’s fine. (Probably.) Raw ground meats, all poultry, seafood, and variety meats can be refrigerated 1 to 2 days. I thawed out some ground beef in the sink, I put it in a baggie, sealed, and filled the sink with warm water. Now, if the use-by date on that steak is May 16th, you’ll need to cook or freeze it by that date. Comments not in alignment with blog subject matter may not be posted. © Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation. The U.S. Agriculture Department has more information about safety and quality issues related to ground beef on its Food Safety and Inspection Service website, at http://bit.ly/grdbeef. It’s perfectly natural. Chow Line is about food, nutrition and food safety. Which is why most grocery stores package cut meat in oxygen-permeable plastic wrap so that oxygen can come in contact with the meat and preserve the red color. Like, when you cut an apple and it browns. Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 (or other types of E. coli that produce Shiga toxin), Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus have all been associated with ground beef and can cause severe illness, or even fatalities, especially in vulnerable people including children, the elderly or anyone who lives with a chronic illness. You can safely consume it for 6 days. Sometimes when I open a package of ground beef, the meat has turned grayish brown on the inside. The comment function is moderated and intended for posts related to the subject matter of the blog post. (from Mom at the Meat counter) Never leave ground beef or any perishable food out at room temperature for more than 1 hour. When this pigment is exposed to air, it turns bright red. The presence of oxygen, however, eventually turns beef grayish-brown. Over time, your ground beef might lose its bright red surface color. While this is not necessarily a sign of spoilage, extended exposure to air reduces the normal shelf life of the product. The meat's red to purplish-red hue comes from contact with oxygen. You're all set to make the meatloaf/hamburgers/meatballs you've been craving all day. If you separate the ground beef you may see that it might be pink inside. This may not look as appetizing, but it's a fresh, healthy piece of meat. Although bacteria that cause spoilage don’t always cause illness, there’s no sense in taking a chance. Refrigerated ground beef prepared within the "use by" date or still in the original packaging should remain a bright, cherry red color on the surface. When raw beef starts to turn brown or gray (even if it's just a small portion of the package), it's time to perform the smell and touch tests right away. Food spoilage is simply an umbrella term for the various signs that communicate to your senses of smell, sight, or touch, that you should not eat the food. Use freezer paper or freezer-quality plastic bags to help prevent freezer burn — indicated by grayish-brown leathery spots on the surface. Meat turns dark as it oxidizes. If the meat is not exposed to oxygen, it changes to a gray-brown hue. I also understand that oxygen can pass through the plastic packaging. Why is pre-packaged ground beef red on the outside and sometimes grayish-brown on the inside? a pigment that turns meat brownish-red. When ground beef goes truly bad, on the other hand, other signs of spoilage are normally present, including an off odor, a sticky or tacky feel, or a slimy appearance. Once the meat comes in contact with oxygen (like when the seal is broken), it will quickly turn bright red thanks to the myoglobin. Bacteria that can cause illness are really of more concern, but unfortunately they don’t announce their presence through changes in appearance or aroma. From the answers to this question, I understand that fresh beef initially becomes bright-red upon exposure to oxygen, and then browns after long-exposure to oxygen. A simple sniff test will confirm that for you. When ground beef is not exposed to oxygen, the myoglobin turns grayish-brown after a few days. I know, I know, warm water is a no no, but I just read that seconds ago online lol. Ground beef that has been frozen may also turn gray, but it is still safe to eat if stored properly. The water released during freezing seeps out of the thawing meats into the package…The faster meat freezes the smaller the ice crystals will be. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the brown or gray meat inside a package of ground beef is perfectly safe to eat and tastes just like the cherry-red exterior. Products that are flash-frozen by the manufacturer will have superior quality to fresh products frozen by the consumer. Ground beef may change color due to multiple factors, including temperature, light, … Prolonged exposure to air and light will also darken meat that starts out bright red, as you’ve probably seen when pre-formed hamburger patties start to turn gray, but are still red or pink inside. According to the USDA, extremely fresh beef is actually purplish in color. After that date, there’s a good chance it may spoil. The length of time that food is safe after thawing depends on the method used to thaw it. As detailed here, raw ground beef can be safely refrigerated for one to two days. Back in the old days, the butchers would put out the ground beef for display, it would get oxidized and then they would have to "refresh" the meat by adding in saltpeter (potassium nitrate) and mixing it around. The plastic wrap around packages of ground beef isn't impermeable, so outer meat is constantly exposed to oxygen. Spoilage is a function of freshness (or lack thereof), where… The plastic wrap covering the ground beef you see in the grocery store is permeable, allowing some oxygen to seep through and keep the meat on the exterior red. Even if we did, it would mostly just taste and smell very bad. Two, if you reheat the ground beef after the first thawing, don't refreeze it; the final product will be pretty unappetizing. Why Ground Beef Turns Gray Surprisingly enough, the color of ground beef isn’t enough to raise the alarm. Fresh ground beef actually has a purplish color thanks to the myoglobin. The content of this site is published by the site owner(s) and is not a statement of advice, opinion, or information pertaining to The Ohio State University. I am having company over tonight and needed it to thaw fast. As discussed earlier, fresh cut meat is purplish in color. If you just bought it, you may want to return it. But ground beef that’s not exposed to oxygen — like the meat that’s on the interior — will often lose its red color after a few days. Then, change the water every 30 minutes until it's thawed and cook immediately afterward. First, do not eat that. Myoglobin’s chemical compound contains iron, which, after a few days of oxygen exposure, will oxidize. A roast thawed in the refrigerator can keep an additional three to five days before being cooked. Raw roasts, steaks, and chops (beef, veal, lamb, and pork) can be refrigerated for 3 to 5 days. Ignoring storage time, regarding color, brown meat is as safe to eat as red meat. Regardless what color the beef is, two weeks is entirely too long to refrigerate ground beef. That’s caused by air coming into contact with the food. Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Beef is relatively quite stable. The thawed product will have lost some of its natural springiness. If you have trouble accessing this page and need to request an alternate format, contact u@osu.edu. Download Ground Beef Turned Grey After Thawing With Hd Quality By Augusto for desktop and phones. As a Carol Brady-aspiring mom, I hardly ever leave the grocery store without at least a pound of lean ground beef covered in plastic wrap. Subscribe to our channel! It is unsafe and should be thrown out. However, if the ground beef is gray or brown throughout, it could be beginning to spoil. For best results, use ground beef within one to two days of purchase, or freeze it in its original packaging for up to four months. Even eating rancid meat won't make you sick as long as it's cooked to kill the bacteria which have multiplied on it - but it will taste bad. Color changes can also occur if raw meat is frozen, where it can fade or darken in color. Excerpt: Does it turn the color grey? Want to see more Southern Living videos? Ground beef can turn brown in the absence of oxygen. Please contact site owner for help. Raw ground beef only keeps in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.. It was totaly frozen and is now pinkish. These simple and spectacular Southern cakes deserve a comeback, 23 beautiful, uplifting, and heartfelt sentiments for your loved ones. The grey color is a result of oxidation. These color differences do not indicate that the meat is spoiled or old. But that does not mean it is spoiled. well its thawed but when i was unwrapping it, i noticed that the meat is white not red like it used to be. Buyer beware: Per the USDA, “the interior of the meat may be grayish brown due to lack of oxygen; however, if all the meat in the package has turned gray or brown, it may be beginning to spoil.” Meat is full of a pigment called myoglobin, which is responsible for delivering iron and oxygen to muscles. This is because most of us won't eat food that smells bad or feels slimy. When it doubt, throw it out! Instead, after defrosting, separate the cooked ground beef you intend to use and return the unused portion to the freezer immediately. Completely Brown Hamburger . Knowing there will be days ahead when I don’t have dinner planned, that little package is my ticket to easy dinners like sloppy joes, tacos, chili, meatloaf. If the ground meat is gray or brown throughout, however, that usually indicates that it has been in the package for a while and may be spoiling. AUGUSTOALGUSTO offer daily download for free, fast and easy. If you want to freeze your steak before its use-by date, be sure you’re giving yourself plenty of time for it to thaw and still be safe to eat. If the ground beef is gray on the inside and outside, chances are, it has spoiled. Thank you, your email will be added to the mailing list once you click on the link in the confirmation email. The important thing to note is where the meat is gray. If you do detect an off odor or if the meat seems sticky or slimy, throw it away. Place it in the freezer for longer-term storage, but even there it can lose quality over time; it’s best to use it within four months. The brown color is from oxidation. The steak should still be okay to eat for a few days after that date. Ground beef’s bright red color comes from a pigment, myoglobin, which becomes red when exposed to oxygen (turning it into oxymyoglobin). Defrosting meat at room temperature makes food unsafe to consume. 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