How To Tell If Pork Is Bad [5 Essential Tests]
Pork is one of my all-time favourite ingredients, and I pick it up from my local butchers at least a few times a week to make dishes like roast rack of pork with wild garlic stuffing, spicy Thai pork curry with jasmine rice, and pork schnitzel with spiced apple salad.
It’s budget friendly, it’s fantastically versatile, and it’s also absolutely delicious.
If you’re not too familiar with handling and cooking pork though, you might be feeling unsure about how to know if it’s bad.
Being able to carry out some basic food safety checks is an essential kitchen skill, and it’s something that can give you a lot more confidence when it comes to trying new ingredients and techniques.
In this guide, I’m going to explain exactly how to tell if pork is bad.
This will help you to assess the colour, texture, and smell of your meat to make an informed decision about whether it’s safe to eat, as well as looking at some additional factors to consider.
Let’s get going!
How to Determine if Pork Is Spoiled
1. Changes in Colour
Raw pork typically has a pinkish hue, which may darken as it ages but should not change drastically.
If you notice the pork appearing greyish or even greenish, it’s a warning sign that it’s unfit for consumption.
2. Experiencing a Slimy Texture
When handling pork, its surface should feel moist but not slimy.
If you find the texture to be sticky or comparable to snail slime, the pork has most likely gone bad and isn’t fit for consumption.
3. Detecting an Ammonia-Like Odour
Fresh pork shouldn’t emit a strong odour.
If the meat starts giving off a distinctive ammonia-like smell, it’s a clear indication that it has spoiled.
Your nose is one of your most important senses when it comes to how to tell if pork is bad, but one time when things might get a little confusing is if your pork has been vacuum packed.
The liquid around the meat might develop an acidic aroma.
Try placing your pungent pork on a cutting board and patting it dry with paper towels.
The smell should be drastically reduced or disappear completely.
4. Cooked Pork Has a Sour Smell
When pork is cooked, it becomes more challenging to detect spoilage.
However, one significant telltale sign is a sour odour coming from the cooked meat.
Some rotting organisms can survive cooking temperatures, and others can be introduced during handling – making it crucial to always inspect your pork thoroughly.
It’s worth noting that this doesn’t just apply to pork chops -it’s also true of pork products like sausages and minced pork.
5. Improper Storage Means Unsafe Pork
If your pork hasn’t been stored correctly, such as being left unrefrigerated overnight, it can harbour dangerous pathogens like Salmonella, even if no obvious changes in appearance or smell are present.
These pathogens can cause illness before any signs of spoilage become apparent.
Always ensure adequate storage and cooking times to avoid risk.
Use-by dates are also critically important when it comes to meat products. Make sure you double check them before making your purchase, and if you intend to freeze your pork, always do so before the use-by date displayed on the packaging.
Applying these tests when you’re handling pork will give you the confidence to know that you’re following best practices and only using ingredients that are safe and fit for purpose.
