Is Slimy Bacon Bad? How to Tell if Your Bacon Has Gone Bad

Few foods elicit excitement like the sizzle of fresh bacon hitting a hot pan But the joy can quickly turn to disappointment when you realize your bacon looks or feels slimy The slime and accompanying off colors are clear red flags that your bacon has spoiled and is unsafe to eat,

I’ve made the mistake of trying to salvage slimy bacon a time or two. And I learned the hard way that slimy bacon is definitely bad news. If you’ve got a pack of bacon past its prime, it’s important to know what causes that undesirable slime and when to throw bacon out.

What Causes Slimy Bacon?

The thin layer of slime you might notice on bacon happens when bacteria begins to multiply on the meat. These harmful microbes feed on the proteins and fats in bacon breaking them down and producing slimy residue as a byproduct of their metabolic processes.

While fresh bacon contains some natural bacteria on the meat, the level is controlled through freezing, curing, salting, and smoking during processing. Refrigerating unopened bacon inhibits bacterial growth. But once opened and exposed to air, the bacteria already present flourish. The slime develops as the bacteria rapidly reproduce and start digesting your bacon.

In addition to slime, the bacteria may cause other noticeable changes like brownish discoloration, dull or slimy textures, and foul odors. Don’t let it get that far! At the first sign of slime, it’s time to get rid of the bacon.

Is Slimy Bacon Necessarily Unsafe?

The slime on spoiled bacon is your cue that harmful bacteria like Salmonella Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus or pathogenic strains of E. coli are present and multiplying.

Consuming bacon harboring high levels of these bugs can cause serious food poisoning. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever. In extreme cases, food poisoning can even become life-threatening.

So while the slime itself is just a symptom, it’s a clear indicator that bacteria levels are escalating. Slimy meat has a very high risk of making you sick. Don’t take a chance by cooking or tasting it!

How to Tell When Bacon Has Gone Bad

Keep an eye out for these signs that bacon is past its prime and needs to be discarded:

• Slime Formation – Any areas of glistening or sticky slime mean toss it!

• Change in Color – Grey, green or brown hues signal spoilage.

• Strange Smells – Foul odors like sulfur or ammonia screams toss it out.

• Weird Textures – Dryness, stickiness, or dull color means don’t risk it.

• Mold Growth – The fuzzy stuff of nightmares. Do not cook it!

• Expired Date – Bacon lasts 1 week beyond sell-by date; discard if older.

• Questionable History – When in doubt, throw it out! Better safe than sorry.

Trust your senses – if anything seems “off” about your bacon’s appearance, texture, or smell, discretion is the better part of valor. Into the trash it goes!

Storing Bacon Properly to Avoid Sliminess

To get the most out of your bacon before it starts sliming, store it with care:

• Keep unopened bacon refrigerated at 40°F or below. The cold inhibits bacteria growth.

• Leave bacon in its original packaging until ready to use. Don’t rewrap in plastic bags.

• Pat bacon dry before refrigerating opened packages – moisture aids bacteria.

• Use opened bacon within 5-7 days for optimum quality.

• Freeze unused bacon for long-term storage up to 1 month.

• Add a layer of parchment between bacon slices to prevent sticking.

Proper refrigeration and storage helps slow the growth of bacteria that cause slime, extending your bacon’s shelf life. But once that slippery slime develops, it’s too late. Resist the temptation to cook slimy bacon – you can’t salvage it!

What to Do If You Cooked Slimy Bacon

Hopefully you caught the slimy bacon before cooking and serving it. But if you didn’t realize until after eating it, take these steps:

• Immediately stop eating the contaminated bacon. Toss the rest!

• Don’t eat anything that the raw slimy bacon contacted. Throw away eggs, other meats, etc. Discard any leftovers.

• Sanitize any surfaces, utensils, and dishes that the raw bacon touched. Bleach works well.

• Monitor yourself and others who ate it closely over the next 1-7 days for food poisoning symptoms.

• Seek medical care if severe nausea, vomiting, bloody stools, high fever, or dehydration occurs.

• Call your doctor if symptoms worry you or last more than 24-48 hours.

• Report the incident to the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854.

While the majority of food poisoning cases resolve on their own, symptoms can become serious for higher risk groups like the elderly, pregnant women, infants, or those with chronic diseases. Don’t take chances with your health – when in doubt, check it out with a medical professional.

In the future, remember that slimy bacon is always unsafe to eat. Trust your senses and when bacon looks, smells or feels weird, play it safe and just throw it away. You can always buy more bacon for your next meal!