We've all been there. You're rummaging through the fridge, looking for something to eat, when you come across a questionable piece of meat. It's been in there for a while, and you're not sure if it's still good. So, what do you do?

If you're like most people, you'll probably take a sniff and then go ahead and eat it anyway. After all, it's just a little bit of meat. What harm could it really do?

The truth is, meat spoiling can actually be quite dangerous. When meat goes bad, it can release harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

Symptoms of food poisoning can include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and in severe cases, it can even lead to death.

But, how precisely can we determine if meat has "gone off"?

Apparently, it's easy! Just ask meat science graduate Jess Pryles who recently revealed the most effective way to identify expired meat.

Credit: Instagram/@jesspryles​

Jess, who was born in Australia but now lives in Texas, is passionate about food safety and preparing meat to produce delicious BBQ and home-cooked meals.

In her recent Instagram post, Jess said that the primary indicator that your meat has ‘gone off’ and is unsafe to consume is a 'tangy and sour' scent that you can detect with your nose.

So, yes, our instinct to smell the meat before consuming it is right! But, why exactly do we need to do this?

'You can't really tell whether meat has gone off by the colour - but you can tell by the smell,' she explained, noting that the visuals of the meat can sometimes not give off its freshness, especially for cuts that are vacuum sealed.

‘Vacuum sealed meat can have a sour smell when it comes out of the bag.'

'But when you leave them out in fresh air for ten minutes, they smell much fresher and are safe to eat.'

'It's really easy to tell if meat is past its expiry - if you smell it and you're wondering what just died in there, that's obviously not good.'

For those of you who are wondering why the smell of the meat matters when preparing it, Jess explained that the scent of meat is a result of its contact with oxygen.

'As meat is exposed to oxygen, it starts developing rancidity - which is a bad smell,' she said.

This means that bacteria can spread more quickly on meat that has been exposed to oxygen, that's why it is important to store it properly.

She added: 'It's normal for meat to have a little bit of a scent - but if it's rotten, you will know about it.'

Jess emphasised the importance of doing a sniff test to the meat before consuming it. Credit: Instagram/@jesspryles.​

So, how can we store meat correctly?

According to Food Safety, most meats can generally be kept frozen for up to 12 months.

Here's a comprehensive guide on how to store meat correctly:

• Store raw ground meats, all poultry, seafood, and variety meats in the fridge for one to two days.
• Keep raw roasts, steaks, and chops (beef, veal, lamb, and pork) in the fridge for three to five days.
• Cooked meat, poultry, and seafood can be kept in the fridge for three to four days.
• If you're not planning to utilise the meat for two to three days, freeze it.
• Frozen meat that will later be used should be thawed in the refrigerator.
• If you have a microwave, you can use it to defrost the meat immediately before cooking it.
• Cook meat immediately once thawed.
• You should never refreeze uncooked meat.

When it comes to meat, it is important to inspect the product before making a purchase. Meat can often be contaminated with harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning. By taking a few minutes to inspect the meat, you can help ensure that you and your loved ones are safe from foodborne illness.

Do you know other tricks that can help identify if meat has 'gone off'? Share them with us in the comments below so other members can use them too!

 

[JayKay]

Occasionally, I've purcased vacuum packed ham.
On opening, the slices have been slimy, despite being within use-by date.
I will not use slimy meat. The "liquid" around this meat might appear milky white rather than clear.
Refund, yes, along with free replacement.

 

[lozat54]

We've all been there. You're rummaging through the fridge, looking for something to eat, when you come across a questionable piece of meat. It's been in there for a while, and you're not sure if it's still good. So, what do you do?

If you're like most people, you'll probably take a sniff and then go ahead and eat it anyway. After all, it's just a little bit of meat. What harm could it really do?

The truth is, meat spoiling can actually be quite dangerous. When meat goes bad, it can release harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

Symptoms of food poisoning can include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and in severe cases, it can even lead to death.

But, how precisely can we determine if meat has "gone off"?

Apparently, it's easy! Just ask meat science graduate Jess Pryles who recently revealed the most effective way to identify expired meat.

Credit: Instagram/@jesspryles​

Jess, who was born in Australia but now lives in Texas, is passionate about food safety and preparing meat to produce delicious BBQ and home-cooked meals.

In her recent Instagram post, Jess said that the primary indicator that your meat has ‘gone off’ and is unsafe to consume is a 'tangy and sour' scent that you can detect with your nose.

So, yes, our instinct to smell the meat before consuming it is right! But, why exactly do we need to do this?

'You can't really tell whether meat has gone off by the colour - but you can tell by the smell,' she explained, noting that the visuals of the meat can sometimes not give off its freshness, especially for cuts that are vacuum sealed.

‘Vacuum sealed meat can have a sour smell when it comes out of the bag.'

'But when you leave them out in fresh air for ten minutes, they smell much fresher and are safe to eat.'

'It's really easy to tell if meat is past its expiry - if you smell it and you're wondering what just died in there, that's obviously not good.'

For those of you who are wondering why the smell of the meat matters when preparing it, Jess explained that the scent of meat is a result of its contact with oxygen.

'As meat is exposed to oxygen, it starts developing rancidity - which is a bad smell,' she said.

This means that bacteria can spread more quickly on meat that has been exposed to oxygen, that's why it is important to store it properly.

She added: 'It's normal for meat to have a little bit of a scent - but if it's rotten, you will know about it.'

Jess emphasised the importance of doing a sniff test to the meat before consuming it. Credit: Instagram/@jesspryles.​

So, how can we store meat correctly?

According to Food Safety, most meats can generally be kept frozen for up to 12 months.

Here's a comprehensive guide on how to store meat correctly:

• Store raw ground meats, all poultry, seafood, and variety meats in the fridge for one to two days.
• Keep raw roasts, steaks, and chops (beef, veal, lamb, and pork) in the fridge for three to five days.
• Cooked meat, poultry, and seafood can be kept in the fridge for three to four days.
• If you're not planning to utilise the meat for two to three days, freeze it.
• Frozen meat that will later be used should be thawed in the refrigerator.
• If you have a microwave, you can use it to defrost the meat immediately before cooking it.
• Cook meat immediately once thawed.
• You should never refreeze uncooked meat.

When it comes to meat, it is important to inspect the product before making a purchase. Meat can often be contaminated with harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning. By taking a few minutes to inspect the meat, you can help ensure that you and your loved ones are safe from foodborne illness.

Do you know other tricks that can help identify if meat has 'gone off'? Share them with us in the comments below so other members can use them too!

Definitely be careful… so even though many people are bragging about making huge savings by buying ’cheap’ meat & poultry, it’s NOT cheap if it’s past or at its use by date & you get food poisoning!!