Storage time matters.
Temperature matters.
Handling matters.
Color is only one small part of the picture.
What If the Entire Package Has Turned Gray?
This is different from seeing a gray center.
If only the interior is darker while the outside remains red, oxygen exposure may explain the difference.
But if the entire package has become gray or brown, especially alongside an unpleasant smell or slimy texture, that’s a different situation.
USDA notes that when all the meat in a package has turned gray or brown, it may be beginning to spoil.
In that situation, don’t assume that cooking will automatically make questionable meat safe.
Don’t Trust the Color of Cooked Beef Either
There’s another surprising fact about ground beef:
You can’t reliably judge whether it’s safely cooked just by looking at its color.
A burger can remain pink even after reaching a safe temperature.
Another burger can look brown before it has reached the temperature needed to destroy harmful bacteria.
That’s why USDA recommends using a food thermometer rather than relying on appearance.
For ground beef, the recommended safe minimum internal temperature is 160°F (71°C).
So if you’re cooking burgers, meatballs, tacos, meatloaf, or another ground-beef dish, a thermometer is much more reliable than simply cutting the meat open and looking at it.
Why Ground Beef Requires Extra Attention
Ground beef is different from an intact steak.
When a steak is ground, bacteria that may have been present on the surface can become distributed throughout the meat.
