If you’re wondering how to know if pork is bad, there are a few different ways to check. The best way is to actually smell the meat before you eat it. There are other methods, but the smell test is one of the most reliable.
The color of the meat also tells you a lot about how good or bad it is. If the meat is a shade or two darker than usual, it might be a sign of bad cut. Similarly, if the fat is a darker shade than normal, it might be a sign of undercooked pork.
Another indicator is the amount of moisture in the meat. Pork can rot if it’s too dry. Also, a wet environment encourages mold to grow. When storing the meat, make sure it’s in an airtight container.
You can also try to find the expiration date. Prepackaged meat usually has a printed “best before” or “expiration date” on the package. Buying the pork at the right time is important if you want to keep it fresh.
Aside from expiration dates, you should be sure to avoid eating food that’s been left out too long. Bacteria need time to multiply to cause a variety of illnesses, and eating pork that’s too old can make you sick. Likewise, if you’re in a humid climate, you’ll need to be careful about storing pork.
If you have time to cook the meat, you should do so. Cooked pork is safe to eat, but you should be careful to not overcook it. That means no more than 140 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s also a good idea to coat the pork in marinade, sauce, or another cooking method before serving.
The other way to figure out how to know if pork is bad is to look at the packaging. A lot of prepackaged meats come with a printed expiration date, and if you’re going to buy something that’s on the expiration date, you should probably throw it out. However, you should keep in mind that not all expiration dates are written in the same way. Some sellers might choose to change their sell by dates so you should be careful.
If you don’t have the time to cook your pork, you can always freeze it. Not only will freezing it kill the harmful bacteria that could cause you to get sick, but it will also help preserve its taste.
Detecting the color of the meat is a bit trickier. However, if the pork is brown and mushy, you should not waste your money on it. On the other hand, if it’s a bright pinkish-red and has a swooshy touch to it, it’s a sign that you’ve bought a healthy piece of meat.
Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that the smell is a pretty good indication of whether a piece of meat is fresh or spoiled. This is because there are many odor-causing bacteria in pork. Even though you may not feel it, the smell of a rotting piece of pork can be enough to make you sick.
