Q&A for How to Tell if Ground Beef Has Gone Bad

Beef is good for around 4 months in the freezer, so your beef should theoretically still be in good shape if it's only been 3. Ultimately, use your best judgment—if the meat seems off to you, toss it out instead of eating it.

Yes, but only if you defrosted the meat in your refrigerator. If you defrosted the meat in a bowl or water or in the microwave, it's no longer safe to refreeze.

Unfortunately, no—you should throw it out. According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA, ground beef is only safe at room temperature for up to 2 hours (or 1 hour if it's at least 90 °F/32.2 °C).

Check the smell and texture of your ground beef. It does change color as it gets older, but if it doesn't smell or feel slimy, it should still be okay.

Throw it away if you aren't sure when the sell-by date was. It may have gone bad.

Ground beef should be cooked immediately after you thaw it in water. Otherwise, bacteria could form.

You shouldn't refreeze them since they probably developed bacteria while they were thawing at room temperature. Always thaw your beef in the fridge or in a sink with cold water.

The longer you keep food in the freezer, the more likely it is to develop freezer spots that could attribute to the flavor.

Meat will turn brown over time. Check to see if it smells or has a slimy texture.

When in doubt, throw the beef away. It is only good to use up to 2 days after the sell-by date if it's been in your fridge.

Your beef may have been freezer burned or it was expired when you bought it and you had never noticed it. The clear colored juice may have been a watery mixture that leached out while cooking.

No, it will not. The issue with food poisoning is that whatever baddies are in the meat have left behind toxins - that's one reason it's called food poisoning and not food. If the beef has gone off, then you can't cook it to save it, it must be disposed of.

Yes, it is likely to hurt him, just as it would a human.

If it smells that badly, you'd better just play it safe and throw it away.

Having been frozen and then kept in the refrigerator for five days, it should be good to eat. As long as it doesn't smell bad and isn't really slimy, it's probably still good. But remember...when in doubt throw it out!

It's possible. In order to still be safe, the meat should be roughly half gray and half red. It must not have a pungent odor and shouldn't be waxy or slimy.

Probably not, since it already smells a bit sour. Also, you shouldn't thaw meat on the counter but in the refrigerator.

Yes, it can be consumed. However, ideally you should monitor your meat every day in order to cook it when it is red. If it's nearing the expiration date, it is best to place it in the freezer and thaw it in the refrigerator when you're ready to cook it.

No, you cannot serve meat that has been sitting out for more than an hour or two without being chilled.

It can last indefinitely, but ideally it should be eaten within 4 to 6 months.

Ground beef shouldn't smell sour unless you add lemon juice or vinegar.

If it meets the criteria, it may still be safe to eat. That said, the meat isn't guaranteed to be safe at this point.

A week is usually too much time to keep raw meat in the fridge. If it is slimy, discolored, or smells off, just throw it out.

If the ground beef was good when it was frozen and has been in the freezer less than six months, you are probably fine. Thaw it in the fridge only, not on the counter or under water. Open the package after it has thawed and follow all the above steps to determine safety.

If it's a little off, it might be fine. However, it is not guaranteed to be safe to eat. You should try to return it to the store and exchange it for a fresher package.

If it smells bad, it's best to just throw it out. It normal for some meats to brown or gray from oxidation.

Meat should not smell like vinegar. The smell indicates that the meat has spoiled.

They may be safe to eat if they don't smell or feel waxy. Usually when they're within 6 months of being frozen, they're fine.

If the meat was still cold while thawing it should not be a problem, however, it is best to place the frozen meat into the refrigerator to thaw over several hours depending on the thickness. If the meat is very large such as a turkey then it can be placed into chilled water in the sink.

Yes, they'd still be edible a day after the Use By date.