{"id":797416,"date":"2022-03-03T08:21:35","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T08:21:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=797416"},"modified":"2024-10-07T18:49:42","modified_gmt":"2024-10-07T23:49:42","slug":"is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Tell if Ground Beef Is Bad"},"content":{"rendered":"Ground beef is a fantastic ingredient to have around. It can be used to make <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/collection\/recipes-with-ground-beef\/\">hundreds of different recipes<\/a> from varying cuisines, so it's versatile enough to satisfy foodies and picky eaters alike.\r\n\r\nHowever, cooks need to be careful because ground beef is highly perishable. Grinding the meat exposes it to oxygen, causing it to go bad more quickly than a whole-muscle steak.\r\n\r\nWondering how to tell if ground beef is bad before you use it for your favorite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/collection\/recipes-with-ground-beef\/\">ground beef recipe<\/a>? Follow these three steps.\r\n<h2 class=\"\">3 Ways to Tell If Your Ground Beef Is Bad<\/h2>\r\n<h3>Check the Color<\/h3>\r\nSurprisingly enough, the color of ground beef isn't enough to raise the alarm. Meat is full of a pigment called myoglobin, which is responsible for delivering iron and oxygen to muscles. When this pigment is exposed to air, it turns bright red. Because it looks so nice, most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/collection\/butcher-shop-mistakes\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">butchers<\/a> use a special plastic wrap that allows some oxygen to get through, giving the top layer of your ground beef a bright, red color.\r\n\r\nThe only problem? All that ground beef <em>underneath<\/em> the top layer has no access to oxygen, so it turns an unappealing color of gray. This will also happen to any beef you store in the freezer. It's perfectly safe to eat, although you should be aware that the color indicates it has been previously frozen or it's sat in the package for a while. (Learn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/really-safe-eat-food-freezer-burn\/\">whether freezer-burned food is safe to eat<\/a>.)\r\n\r\nThat said, if the top layer of beef has turned gray or brown (and it was never frozen), it's time to throw the package out. You'll also want to be on the lookout for other colors, like white or blue, which could indicate mold has started to grow.\r\n<h3 class=\"\">Smell It<\/h3>\r\nFresh ground beef should smell neutral, with a light iron aroma. It will take on a slight odor if it's been in the package for a while and is close to reaching its expiration date. But, if the smell is strong enough to make you wrinkle your nose, you know it's time to toss it. Be on the lookout for ground beef that smells rotten or sour. When in doubt, it's best to throw it out. An off aroma is a sign of spoilage, especially if you see other signs in the color and texture.\r\n<h3 class=\"\">Notice the Texture<\/h3>\r\nThe biggest risk factor when it comes to ground beef is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/salmonella\/\"><em>Salmonella<\/em><\/a> and <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-protect-your-loved-ones-from-e-coli\/\">E. coli<\/a>.<\/em> These bacteria don't affect the color of ground beef (nor the smell), so it's important to perform a touch test if the beef is in question. Fresh ground beef is firm and springs back easily if you poke it. Squeezing the beef between your fingers (I know, gross, right?) will cause the meat to crumble. If it's gone bad, the beef will be slimy and sticky, and it won't crumble as easily.\r\n<h2 class=\"\">What Happens When You Eat Bad Ground Beef<\/h2>\r\nEating bad ground beef is not fun. If the beef is not handled properly, or it's too old, pathogenic bacteria can grow and lead to some unpleasant food poisoning symptoms.\r\n\r\nSigns of foodborne illness from bad ground beef include stomach cramps or pain, vomiting, diarrhea, chills and\/or fever. Symptoms can occur anywhere from one hour to 72 hours from consumption and generally last less than a week.\r\n\r\nIt's not fun, and foodborne illness can be dangerous for the very young or old or those with compromised immune systems. So, when in doubt, throw it out!\r\n\r\nKnowing whether meat has gone bad is tricky. Learn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-tell-if-salmon-is-bad\/\">how to tell if salmon is bad<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-tell-if-chicken-has-gone-bad\/\">how to tell if chicken is bad<\/a>.\r\n<h2 class=\"\">How to Handle Ground Beef<\/h2>\r\nProper handling and storage of ground beef is the best way to prevent it from going bad. Start by inspecting the package at the store. It should feel cold to the touch without any holes or scratches in the wrapping, and the meat should be red. Be sure to peek at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/never-eat-past-expiration-date\/\">expiration date<\/a>, too.\r\n\r\nHead straight home and get the ground beef into the refrigerator as soon as possible. To prevent cross-contamination, store ground beef wrapped in a bag on the bottom shelf in case any of the juices leak from the package. Be sure to use or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-long-can-you-freeze-ground-beef\/\">freeze the ground beef<\/a> by the expiration date. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-defrost-ground-beef-safely\/\">Defrosted ground beef<\/a> is good in the fridge for up to two days if it was thawed in the refrigerator, but you'll want to cook it immediately if you used the microwave or thawed it in cold water.\r\n\r\nThe USDA recommends cooking ground beef to an internal temperature of 160\u00b0F before serving it. Serve cooked ground beef immediately or refrigerate it within two hours of cooking. When properly stored in airtight containers, leftover ground beef is good for three to four days. Next, read on to see whether or not to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/rinse-ground-beef\/\">rinse ground beef<\/a>.\r\n\r\n[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[\/cf]","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how to tell if ground beef is bad by checking the color, seeing if it has any off smells and giving it the touch test to inspect the texture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7954,"featured_media":1751026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[307308,307320,306848,307307,303883,303897],"categories-v2":[310347,310362,309603,310342,308476,308490],"coauthors":[50034],"acf":{"long_pin_file":false,"ncv_override_generic_settings_option":false,"ncv_autoplay_option":"","ncv_stickyplay_option":"","ncv_ads_option":"","ncv_mute_option":"","ncv_comscore_option":"","ncv_moat_option":"","ncv_autoplay_mobile_option":"","ncv_viewable_threshold_option":"","ncv_sticky_offset_option":"","ncv_autopause_option":"","ncv_sticky_offset_mobile_option":"","ncv_autopause_mobile_option":"","ncv_sticky_mobile_option":"","ncv_remove_player_option":false,"long_pin":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.3 (Yoast SEO v23.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Tell if Ground Beef Is Bad<\/title>\n\n\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Tell if Ground Beef Is Bad","description":"Learn how to tell if ground beef is bad by checking the color, seeing if it has any off smells and giving it the touch test to inspect the texture.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Is Gray Ground Beef Safe to Eat?","og_description":"The best way to tell if ground beef is bad is the look, smell and texture.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/","og_site_name":"Taste Recipes","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tasteofhome","article_published_time":"2022-03-03T08:21:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-10-07T23:49:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-Social.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Lindsay D. Mattison","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Is Gray Ground Beef Safe to Eat?","twitter_description":"The best way to tell if ground beef is bad is the look, smell and texture.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit.jpg","twitter_creator":"@tasteofhome","twitter_site":"@tasteofhome","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lindsay D. Mattison","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/"},"author":{"name":"Lindsay D. Mattison","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/cc05f6209019240759d55bb7d3aef499"},"headline":"How to Tell if Ground Beef Is Bad","datePublished":"2022-03-03T08:21:35+00:00","dateModified":"2024-10-07T23:49:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/"},"wordCount":824,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit.jpg","keywords":["Beef","Ground Beef","Ingredients","Meat &amp; Poultry","Test Kitchen","Test Kitchen Tips"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/","url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/","name":"How to Tell if Ground Beef Is Bad","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit.jpg","datePublished":"2022-03-03T08:21:35+00:00","dateModified":"2024-10-07T23:49:42+00:00","description":"Learn how to tell if ground beef is bad by checking the color, seeing if it has any off smells and giving it the touch test to inspect the texture.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit.jpg","width":2400,"height":1600,"caption":"questionable Ground Beef in a package on a kitchen counter"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Recipes","item":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/recipes\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Ingredients","item":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/recipes\/ingredients\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Meat &amp; Poultry","item":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/recipes\/ingredients\/meat-poultry\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"Beef","item":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/recipes\/ingredients\/meat-poultry\/beef\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":6,"name":"Ground Beef","item":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/recipes\/ingredients\/meat-poultry\/beef\/ground-beef\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":7,"name":"How to Tell if Ground Beef Is Bad"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/","name":"Taste Recipes","description":"Find Recipes, Appetizers, Desserts, Holiday Recipes &amp; Healthy Cooking Tips","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#organization","name":"Taste Recipes","url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/toh-logo-red.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/toh-logo-red.png","width":166,"height":125,"caption":"Taste Recipes"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tasteofhome","https:\/\/x.com\/tasteofhome","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tasteofhome\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/taste_of_home\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/tasteofhome"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/cc05f6209019240759d55bb7d3aef499","name":"Lindsay D. Mattison","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/200e2c0192826b483bb37150c64fa0be","url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/lindsaydmattison.png?resize=150,150","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/lindsaydmattison.png?resize=150,150","caption":"Lindsay D. Mattison"},"description":"Lindsay is a food writer for Taste Recipes. She uses her experience as a professional chef to inspire confidence in home cooks and food enthusiasts. When she\u2019s not writing, you\u2019ll find Lindsay camping, cooking with fresh produce from the farmers market or planning a trip to discover the best new restaurants.","url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/author\/lindsay-mattison\/"}]}},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2025-07-01 15:49:38","action":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category"},"canonical_url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/is-gray-ground-beef-safe-to-eat\/","author_details":{"375230":{"ID":"375230","display_name":"Lindsay D. Mattison","first_name":"Lindsay","last_name":"Mattison","user_login":"lindsay-mattison","user_email":"lindsay.mattison@tmbi.com","linked_account":"lindsay.mattison","website":"http:\/\/www.lindsaymattison.com","description":"<p>Lindsay has been writing for digital publications for seven years and has 10 years of experience working as a professional chef. She became a full-time food writer at <em>Taste Recipes<\/em> in 2023, although she\u2019s been a regular contributor since 2017. Throughout her career, Lindsay has been a freelance writer and recipe developer for multiple publications, including <em>Wide Open Media, Tasting Table, Mashed<\/em> and <em>SkinnyMs<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n<p>Lindsay is an accomplished product tester and spent six years as a freelance product tester at <em>Reviewed<\/em> (part of the USA Today network). She has tested everything from cooking gadgets to knives, cookware sets, meat thermometers, pizza ovens and more than 60 grills (including charcoal, gas, kamado, smoker and pellet grills).<\/p>\r\n<p>Lindsay still cooks professionally for pop-up events, especially when she can highlight local, seasonal ingredients. As a writer, Lindsay loves sharing her skills and experience with home cooks. She aspires to motivate others to gain confidence in the kitchen. When she\u2019s not writing, you\u2019ll find her cooking with fresh produce from the farmers market or planning a trip to discover the best new restaurants.<\/p>","twitter":"","instagram":"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/linzdmattison\/","facebook":"","public_email":"","linkedin":"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lindsaydmattison\/","tiktok":"","youtube":"","location":"Portland, OR","school_and_year":"University of Tennessee","education":"<ul>\r\n<li>University of Tennessee, bachelor's in Spanish language and literature<\/li>\r\n<li>Cascade Culinary Institute, certificate of completion in culinary arts, sustainable food systems emphasis<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","highlights":"<ul>\r\n<li>7 years in food publishing, including freelance recipe development, food writing and product testing<\/li>\r\n<li>Culinary school graduate with 10 years experience working in professional kitchens, including catering and working as the executive chef of a farm-to-table restaurant<\/li>\r\n<li>Co-author of two Ayurvedic cookbooks: <em>My Mother's Ayurvedic Kitchen<\/em> and <em>Ayurveda: Breaking the Rules Without Breaking the Principles<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","expertise":"Cooking techniques; Recipe development; Product testing","short_bio":"<p>Lindsay has been a food writer, recipe developer and product tester for seven years. She\u2019s a culinary school graduate who specializes in sustainable food and seasonal ingredients. She draws on her professional chef background to develop recipes and help home cooks gain confidence in the kitchen. When Lindsay isn\u2019t writing, you\u2019ll find her cooking with fresh produce from the farmers market or planning a trip to discover the best new restaurants.<\/p>","user_nicename":"lindsay-mattison","type":"guest-author","nickname":""}},"images":{"1751026":{"image_url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit.jpg","post_data":{"ID":1751026,"post_author":"7769","post_date":"2022-03-03 15:01:18","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 21:01:18","post_content":"","post_title":"Bad Ground Beef Gettyimages 904097918 Mledit","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"inherit","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"bad-ground-beef-gettyimages-904097918-mledit","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 15:02:19","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 21:02:19","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":797416,"guid":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit.jpg","menu_order":0,"post_type":"attachment","post_mime_type":"image\/jpeg","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},"post_meta":{"_wp_attached_file":["2022\/03\/bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit.jpg"],"_syndication_rights":["1"],"_wp_attachment_image_alt":["questionable Ground Beef in a package on a kitchen counter"],"_wp_attachment_metadata":["a:5:{s:5:\"width\";i:2400;s:6:\"height\";i:1600;s:4:\"file\";s:56:\"2022\/03\/bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit.jpg\";s:5:\"sizes\";a:13:{s:6:\"medium\";a:4:{s:4:\"file\";s:56:\"bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-300x200.jpg\";s:5:\"width\";i:300;s:6:\"height\";i:200;s:9:\"mime-type\";s:10:\"image\/jpeg\";}s:5:\"large\";a:4:{s:4:\"file\";s:56:\"bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-700x467.jpg\";s:5:\"width\";i:700;s:6:\"height\";i:467;s:9:\"mime-type\";s:10:\"image\/jpeg\";}s:9:\"thumbnail\";a:4:{s:4:\"file\";s:56:\"bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-150x150.jpg\";s:5:\"width\";i:150;s:6:\"height\";i:150;s:9:\"mime-type\";s:10:\"image\/jpeg\";}s:12:\"medium_large\";a:4:{s:4:\"file\";s:56:\"bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-768x512.jpg\";s:5:\"width\";i:768;s:6:\"height\";i:512;s:9:\"mime-type\";s:10:\"image\/jpeg\";}s:9:\"1536x1536\";a:4:{s:4:\"file\";s:58:\"bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-1536x1024.jpg\";s:5:\"width\";i:1536;s:6:\"height\";i:1024;s:9:\"mime-type\";s:10:\"image\/jpeg\";}s:9:\"2048x2048\";a:4:{s:4:\"file\";s:58:\"bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-2048x1365.jpg\";s:5:\"width\";i:2048;s:6:\"height\";i:1365;s:9:\"mime-type\";s:10:\"image\/jpeg\";}s:18:\"categories-v2-hero\";a:4:{s:4:\"file\";s:56:\"bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-768x768.jpg\";s:5:\"width\";i:768;s:6:\"height\";i:768;s:9:\"mime-type\";s:10:\"image\/jpeg\";}s:18:\"categories-v2-card\";a:4:{s:4:\"file\";s:56:\"bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-568x568.jpg\";s:5:\"width\";i:568;s:6:\"height\";i:568;s:9:\"mime-type\";s:10:\"image\/jpeg\";}s:21:\"homepage-featured-big\";a:4:{s:4:\"file\";s:56:\"bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-522x522.jpg\";s:5:\"width\";i:522;s:6:\"height\";i:522;s:9:\"mime-type\";s:10:\"image\/jpeg\";}s:23:\"homepage-featured-small\";a:4:{s:4:\"file\";s:56:\"bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-185x185.jpg\";s:5:\"width\";i:185;s:6:\"height\";i:185;s:9:\"mime-type\";s:10:\"image\/jpeg\";}s:16:\"square-thumbnail\";a:4:{s:4:\"file\";s:56:\"bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-295x295.jpg\";s:5:\"width\";i:295;s:6:\"height\";i:295;s:9:\"mime-type\";s:10:\"image\/jpeg\";}s:21:\"medium-featured-image\";a:4:{s:4:\"file\";s:56:\"bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-350x350.jpg\";s:5:\"width\";i:350;s:6:\"height\";i:350;s:9:\"mime-type\";s:10:\"image\/jpeg\";}s:28:\"curated_content_joke_archive\";a:4:{s:4:\"file\";s:56:\"bad-ground-beef-GettyImages-904097918-MLedit-640x800.jpg\";s:5:\"width\";i:640;s:6:\"height\";i:800;s:9:\"mime-type\";s:10:\"image\/jpeg\";}}s:10:\"image_meta\";a:12:{s:8:\"aperture\";s:1:\"0\";s:6:\"credit\";s:0:\"\";s:6:\"camera\";s:0:\"\";s:7:\"caption\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"created_timestamp\";s:1:\"0\";s:9:\"copyright\";s:0:\"\";s:12:\"focal_length\";s:1:\"0\";s:3:\"iso\";s:1:\"0\";s:13:\"shutter_speed\";s:1:\"0\";s:5:\"title\";s:0:\"\";s:11:\"orientation\";s:1:\"0\";s:8:\"keywords\";a:0:{}}}"],"_one_time_use":["0"],"_image_licensor_id":[""],"_image_licensor_name":[""],"_license_type":[""],"photographer_credit_name":["nzfhatipoglu\/Getty Images"],"mdd_hash":["7dd7c88fc713d3cf57bbc4b7cff6ab80"],"mdd_size":["800851"]}}},"current_site_slug":"toh-com","_yoast_wpseo_title":"How to Tell if Ground Beef Is Bad","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Learn how to tell if ground beef is bad by checking the color, seeing if it has any off smells and giving it the touch test to inspect the texture.","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"is gray ground beef safe to eat","dek":["No one wants to get sick from a package of ground beef! Here's how to tell if ground beef is bad (including whether that gray color really matters)."],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797416"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7954"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=797416"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1991547,"href":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797416\/revisions\/1991547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1751026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=797416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=797416"},{"taxonomy":"categories-v2","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories-v2?post=797416"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=797416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}