What if steak has brown spots

Information Quality. Privacy Policy. New Farmers. Disaster Resource Center. An official website of the United States government. Have a Question? Does the color of beef indicate freshness? Information Knowledge Article. Beef muscle not exposed to oxygen in vacuum packaging, for example is burgundy or purplish in color. Much to your dismay, the steak turned brown in the refrigerator.

It could be that there are just a few dark spots here and there. Do brown spots on steak mean you should throw it away? Brown patches will sometimes appear on meat as a result of oxidization.

Unless the steak smells foul, feels sticky or slimy, or shows other obvious signs of spoilage, it should be safe to consume. Raw beef is a deep burgundy, almost purple color.

When you see steaks on supermarket shelves, though, the meat is usually bright cherry-red. After several days, the myoglobin will oxidize, meaning it undergoes chemical changes that can cause brown spots to appear on the meat.

After you purchase fresh steaks, they should keep in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. The total length of time depends on how the meat was packaged and how long the steaks were on the shelf before you bought them.

You might even be able to store it for 7 days or more, though we would cook it off sooner if possible. On the other hand, if the steak you purchased from the grocery store has been wrapped in plastic wrap or butcher paper, it might start to turn brown just 3 days later.

The date is merely an indicator of food quality i. The rest of the steak is cooked and seared making it perfectly safe to eat. Fresh red meat has a light bloody, or metallic smell. On the other hand, if your steak has gone bad, it will have a definitive odor that smells sour, or a little like eggs or ammonia. For sell-by dates that go past at home, you can continue to store the food for a short amount of time depending on what it is.

Some common products are: ground meat and poultry days past the date , beef days past the date , eggs weeks past the date. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, food expiration dates refer to food quality, not food safety.

Best if Used By — This date suggests when a product will be at peak quality. It will still be safe to consume after that date, but the flavor and texture quality will start to go down.