Would you eat ground beef that had turned brown?

[lavender mom]

DH bought some ground beef "on special" at the grocery store. The "sell by" date is today. It's brown, not red like fresher ground beef. Would you eat it? I can't bring myself to eat it and therefore, won't feed it to the kids. DH thinks it's fine. I made DH a burger with it. He's annoyed that I won't eat it. I'm just wondering if I'm over reacting. Thanks.

[Garnet]

no I wouldn't. I've see this before and it smells funny to me and anything that smells funny I'm not eating. Now I've heard of steaks and roasts that were air dried and turned brown and people ate that and were fine, but not hamburger.

[Chris3jam]

Does it smell funny? If it smells off, no. But, turning brown doesn't hurt it. It's the natural color of the meat before they 'inject' the gas that makes it red and fresh looking. The gas has just worn off. I would smell it. .. if it smells really sweet-ish or bad, don't use it. If not, it should be fine. If you have a question about it, you can always return it (unopened) to the store. And cook thoroughly (of course).

[Sara]

If it smells fine, I think it would be fine to use. Particularly since you aren't eating it past the sell-by date.

[DeenyB]

I would also smell it. I have used some that was a bit brown on the outside, and as soon as I cut it open it was red. Never had the experience of having it all brown.

[lavender mom]

Thanks. I didn't smell it. I should have, but couldn't get past the brown. :O It was brown through and through, and I think that's what threw me. I've gotten that brown on the outside stuff too, and eaten it, but never brown all the way through. I'm sure it was probably fine. We'll see how DH is tomorrow morning I guess!

[DeenyB]

It was brown through and through, and I think that's what threw me. I've gotten that brown on the outside stuff too, and eaten it, but never brown all the way through.


Ewwww! i wouldnt have eaten it..but that me :)

[Maggie]

I probably wouldn't have eaten it, either, but I'm paranoid about meat. I've also seen it brown on the outside, but not throughout the whole thing.

[Sara]

Well, maybe I'll change my opinion. I did not realize it was brown all the way through. :grin

[Iansmama]

Assuming it did not smell and was not turning green, I would have cooked it thoroughly and eaten it.


But, turning brown doesn't hurt it. It's the natural color of the meat before they 'inject' the gas that makes it red and fresh looking. The gas has just worn off.

I did not know the mechanism of turning meat red, but I know that any time we have had "fresh" beef (straight from the farm) it is not the bright red like the meat from the grocery store.

[Chris3jam]

Meat (specifically the blood in meat) loses all it's oxygen after slaughter, turning it brown ("real", or natural, meat is never that artificial red color). It's the oxygen in the blood which makes the meat red. I forget what it is they use. . . but they treat it so it stays artificially red. It starts turning brown as it gets older because it's losing that gas. They are now starting to talk about treating the packaging with CO2 and nitrogen. Then, you really won't be able to tell! Smell is really the best way to tell if it's good or not. Do you know how they age meat? They let it 'rot'......and then cut off the black areas (that was the very quick, short version).

[lavender mom]

Well, DH woke up just fine this morning so I guess it was OK.

I never knew about the whole treating meat so it stays red thing. So interesting. I'm glad you shared that, Chris. I wonder if that helps it stay fresh longer or something? I'd also kinda expect organic meat to not be red, but it is, isn't it? Maybe oxygen is considered organic. :shrug

I'm just glad no one got sick!

[Chris3jam]

Maybe oxygen is considered organic.

It is. As is carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide and nitrogen. These are all naturally occuring gases. If you read the packages, also, you may find that the meat has been "treated" or "injected" "with a ____% solution" of salts and water. Considering that meat already has a pretty high water content, that's up to 30% (or sometimes more) that you are paying meat prices for salt water. Ground meat may not be labeled that way, since it is ground of cuts of meat that already are treated.

[Wholly Mama]

I used some like that to make tacos, and they tasted just as good as usual. :grin

[hidngplace]

What I copied off a page

Color of Beef
Beef muscle meat not exposed to oxygen (in vacuum packaging, for example) is a burgundy or purplish color. After exposure to the air for 15 minutes or so, the myoglobin receives oxygen and the meat turns bright, cherry red.

After beef has been refrigerated about 5 days, it may turn brown due to chemical changes in the myoglobin. Beef that has turned brown during extended storage may be spoiled, have an off-odor, and be tacky to the touch.


I get grass-fed natural beef from a local organic farmer. It is red unless I let it sit a few days in the refrig. I am pretty sure they don't chemically treat it. I would guess the store is chemically treated because it will sit a lot longer, I could be wrong though.

I would have dh smell it, I can't stand the smell of raw meat good or not. :sick2