Like most foods, meat is best when its served fresh. And while no one wants to be wasteful, no one should risk getting sick from tainted or spoiled meat. When that beef, pork or poultry is ground up, however, it can sometimes be difficult to tell if its actually gone bad.
Since best by, sell by and use by dates can be pretty confusing, culinary professionals recommend that home cooks perform their own assessment of any meat products before cooking them.
The first test? Take a look. In general, ground meat should be a varied shade of red or pink. Slight discoloration is natural, but the product package itself may also indicate spoilage.
“From a visual perspective, if you have a piece of meat thats in a bag or vacuum-sealed pouch (and) if it has blown up like a balloon, its going to be really rotten, so much so, you should not even open the bag,” butcher James Peisker, co-founder of Porter Road, told TODAY Food.
If ground meat passes the visual test, the next step is to touch it. “If the meat is sticky or super slimy, throw it away. Wet and juicy is OK, but you never want your meat to be slimy to the touch,” advised Peisker.
After passing the look and touch tests, then its time to use your nose. “Different meat has different smells,” said Peisker but, generally, rotten meat actually smells slightly sweet. Like other products that have spoiled, ground meat will be especially pungent. Like fresh fish, fresh meat shouldnt really be smelly at all.
Here are some top tips for how to assess the freshness of specific types of meat.
What Does Bad Turkey Look Like? 7 Clear Signs Your Bird Has Gone Bad
As we approach the holiday season, many of us are planning to cook a delicious turkey dinner for our family and friends. However, before roasting that bird, it’s crucial to inspect it closely to ensure it hasn’t gone bad. Eating spoiled turkey can cause severe food poisoning, so you want to identify any signs of spoilage. But what exactly does bad turkey look like?
In this article, we’ll cover the visual cues that indicate your raw or cooked turkey has gone bad. We’ll also provide tips on proper storage and handling to keep your turkey fresh. Let’s dive in so you can confidently determine if your turkey is still good to eat or ready for the trash.
7 Clear Signs Your Turkey Has Gone Bad
Here are the most common visual indicators that your raw or cooked turkey has spoiled and is unsafe to eat
- Foul Odor
One of the quickest ways to identify bad turkey is smell. Fresh raw turkey has very little odor. If you notice a strong, unpleasant, sour or ammonia-like smell coming from the turkey, that’s a major red flag. This happens when bacteria multiplies rapidly on the meat, releasing smelly chemical compounds. Even a slight funky scent means it’s best to discard the turkey.
- Slimy Texture
Press your fingers lightly into the turkey’s flesh Fresh turkey should feel moist but not overly tacky or mushy. A slippery, gooey texture indicates spoilage An excessively soft or slimy feel means the turkey has likely gone bad. Trust your senses – if it feels abnormally squishy or sticky, don’t risk eating it.
- Discoloration
Fresh raw turkey has a pale pink color with a glossy sheen. As it spoils, the color fades to an unappetizing gray, green or brown tone. Widespread dullness or discoloration signals the turkey has gone bad. Dark blood spots can be cut away, but if the skin looks matte and dull throughout, it’s safer to discard the entire turkey.
- Mold Growth
The presence of mold is an instant no-go. Mold often shows up as fuzzy white, blue, green or black patches. It can penetrate deeply into the meat, beyond what’s visible. So if you notice any mold at all, don’t take chances – throw out the turkey.
- Rancid Smell When Cooked
A rancid odor while roasting is another giveaway that the turkey is bad. As you cook spoiled turkey, the heat draws out unpleasant rotten smells. If you notice a funky smell filling your kitchen, do not eat the cooked turkey. Always discard turkey that smells off while cooking.
- Crumbly, Dry Texture
Fresh properly cooked turkey should be moist and tender. If the meat turns out overly dry with a strange crumbly texture, it likely went bad before cooking. Eating turkey that’s falling apart can be both unappetizing and unsafe.
- Unnatural Dark Spots
When carving cooked turkey, the meat should be an even, uniform color. Unusual grayish-brown spots or patches signify microbial growth, meaning the turkey was spoiled. Any cooked turkey exhibiting these odd discolored areas should not be consumed.
Proper Turkey Storage
To avoid spoiled turkey, follow these safe storage tips:
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Store turkey in the coldest part of the refrigerator, below 40°F. Higher temps promote spoilage.
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Keep raw turkey in its original airtight packaging until ready to use. Rewrap or seal leftovers.
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Cook or freeze fresh turkey within 1-2 days of purchasing. Refrigerate cooked turkey within 2 hours after roasting.
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When freezing, portion turkey into airtight containers or bags. Label with the freeze date.
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Handle turkey carefully to avoid cross-contamination. Wash hands, surfaces, and tools after contact.
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Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow airtight containers. Reheat to 165°F before serving.
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Freeze leftovers within 4 months for best quality. Discard any turkey that looks or smells funky when thawed.
Follow the Food Safety Fundamentals
Adhering to proper food safety practices helps prevent turkey from deteriorating prematurely. Trust your senses during inspection. Don’t chance eating turkey that looks, feels or smells questionable. When in doubt, throw it out. Stay vigilant so you can enjoy delicious fresh turkey this holiday season without worry.
How to tell if ground beef is bad
“All beef, including ground beef, is a deep purple until it hits oxygen,” Peisker told TODAY. “If its a deep purple, it was cut and then taken away from oxygen instantly. As the meat hits oxygen, it blooms to a bright red.”
Beef actually has the longest shelf life of most ground meats and, assuming it wasnt purchased past its use by date and is freshly ground, should stay fresh in the fridge for five to seven days.
“The meat should always have a nice sheen to it and not [be] gray. The grind should be a coarse grind where you can see the meat,” Josh Capon, executive chef and partner at Lure Fishbar and Bowery Meat Company, said.
When raw beef starts to turn brown or gray (even if its just a small portion of the package), its time to perform the smell and touch tests right away. 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. If youre still within that five day window and the beef is only a little gray on the outside, but otherwise seems fine, its OK to consume it. However, if the meat is showing signs of gray or brown discoloration throughout, its time to say goodbye.
Its also important to keep in mind that ground meat can still go rotten in the freezer. “Large ice crystals (on ground beef) indicate it could be bad, and it could make you sick,” said Peisker. “Also with frozen meat, if there is discoloration, be careful, its always better to air on the side of safety.”
How to tell if ground pork and sausage is bad
Ground pork will stay fresh up to five days but around day three, you should definitely check the package.
“With grocery store ground pork, it will start to turn brown, but it doesnt have the oxidation like beef does,” Peisker said. “Ground pork is often considered the other white meat but … if you get it from a reputable, high-quality purveyor, it will automatically look darker than what you would see in the grocery store.”
When it comes to fresh sausages like bratwurst (which may have dairy in them), they will go bad pretty quickly.
“Anything in a natural casing will also go bad faster,” said Peisker, adding that “anything that has a starch in it (potato, rice) will go bad faster, because bacteria loves starches and turns them into sugars — which will increase the growth of bacteria, good and bad.”
How long sausage lasts will vary by the type of meat in it, but most sausages will last two to three days in the fridge, and about a month in the freezer.
Of course, with various spices and additives like onions or garlic, fresh sausage can be pretty pungent right off the bat. Chef Justin Burdett of Crooks Corner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, told TODAY that “pre-wrapped meats have an odor to them immediately after being opened that will go away after the meat is allowed to breathe a little. However, if the meat still smells after some time out of the packaging, its likely gone bad.”
Sausages also vary in color but like any other ground meat product, once they start to turn a different color, its likely time to toss it. Touching the sausage, said Burdett, is probably the best way to assess whether its fresh: “If the ground sausage feels sticky or has a gummy texture, its past its time and shouldnt be used.”
How to Determine If a Thawed Turkey Has Gone Bad
FAQ
What does a spoiled raw turkey look like?
Raw turkey meat should be light pink or beige, depending on the type of meat and its fat content. The meat color becomes dull as time passes, which is normal. However, if the meat has a brown, gray or yellow or green hue, you will want to part ways with it.
How to tell if leftover turkey is bad?
- Slimy texture: A noticeable slimy or sticky feel on the turkey meat.
- Unpleasant odor: A sour or fermented smell, even if it’s subtle.
- Discoloration: A grayish or greenish tint on the meat.
- Visible mold: Mold growth on the turkey.
What are the symptoms of eating bad turkey?
- Vomiting and abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea, which may contain blood or mucus
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
- Aching muscles
- Chills
- Headache
- Belly bloating and gas