How do you know when ground beef is bad?

If you’re not sure whether your ground beef is still good, lean close and smell it. If the meat smells sour or unpleasant, it’s probably bad and you should discard it. If it seems okay, use your fingers to test the texture. Meat that has turned bad will feel sticky, tacky, or slimy and should be thrown out. read more

Keeping Ground Beef Fresh. To avoid wasting food, take action when you purchase ground beef. Either cook it or freeze it within a day or two of buying it. Usually, you'll see a sell-by date on the package. Even if that date is two or three days in the future, pay no attention to it. Cook the meat the day you bring it home or freeze it. read more

Ground beef that has gone bad has an unpleasant odor and a telltale grey-brown hue. When fresh, all raw red meats have a vibrant red-pink appearance and do not have a strong odor. Fresh ground beef also contains tiny flecks of white fat. read more