how can i tell if ground beef has gone bad?

Question

i bought it a day till expires....froze it and defrosted it tuesday night.....kept it in the fridge is it still good?

Answer 1

I would guess it is most definately still good. It may be brown but that is OK, brown meat just indicates a different oxidation level of iron bound to hemoglobin in the blood (brown = metmyoglobin and is perfectly safe to eat). If the meat is green or shiny in places it would indicate bacterial growth and should be tossed. Use your nose, if it smells rancid you should toss it.

But since you froze it right away and kept it refrigerated it should be ok, even if it is now brown.

Answer 2

if it wasn't bad before you froze it, then it will be fine. basically, anything can keep forever in the freezer, and still be safe to eat. freezing doesn't kill bacteria, but it does make the bacteria go dormant, so they won't multiply, and spoil your food. Your food may lose it's appeal after being frozen for long periods of time, but will still be safe to eat, even if covered in loads of freezer burn. Rebecca was spot on with what she said about the oxidation of the meat. Unless it smells foul, you're safe to eat it, however, the key word there is safe. it may not taste that good, and it may not be worth the hassle of cooking it.

Answer 3

It will usually last about 3 days after you defrost it. I would do a smell check and go from there.

Answer 4

Just smell it. It shouldn't smell like anything really. If it does, then it's gone bad. Color isn't an indication, because where air hits will be darker because of oxidation.

Answer 5

Smell it, if it smells bad,toss it.Then again when in doubt throw it out.When they have expiration date on the package, that just means it has to be sold before then.Hope this helps...

Answer 6

It loses it's color and it smells. It should only be kept in the frig for several days after purchasing. If you won't use it right away, freeze it.

Answer 7

it can keep up to 3 months if it's frozen, but if it's been in the fridge since Tuesday, toss it.

Answer 8

As with anything else, first: smell it, then: look at it, and (the ONE good rule I learned from my own mother) "When in doubt, throw it out". (If you've ever had food poisoning, you know what I mean!)

Answer 9

If it smells bad raw or smells odd when cooking it, toss it.

Answer 10

Personally, I would toss it ... especially if there's a major color change and/or smell.