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Colour of mince meat
Fast facts
- Because the meat has become a brown colour just under the surface does not mean that the meat is stale or unsafe to eat.
- When meat is exposed to air, a natural pigment can make it turn a brighter red on the surface.
- Mince can be brown-grey coloured under the surface and still be OK. It remains safe to eat as long as it has been correctly refrigerated and has been purchased and consumed by the use-by date on the package.
- The way to tell if meat is spoiled is that it will give off an obvious ‘sour’ or ‘off’ smell and feel tacky to the touch.
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What colour should minced meat be?
Consumers usually consider the bright red colour of meat as a sign of ‘freshness’ when purchasing minced meat. However, some people become concerned when they find the meat is a brown-grey colour under the red surface.
Fresh minced meat can go through a number of colour changes during its shelf life. This occurs naturally in mince, due to the large surface area exposed to the air during processing. Because the meat has become a brown colour just under the surface does not mean that the meat is old or stale or unsafe to eat.
What gives meat its colour?
All meat naturally contain a pigment called myoglobin, which is the purple colour in freshly cut meat. The colour of minced meat comes from two types of myoglobin – oxymyoglobin and metmyoglobin.
When myoglobin comes in contact with oxygen, it forms oxymyoglobin, which has the bright, red colour of beef that we all recognise. After several hours or days of exposure, the oxymoyoglobin can convert to metmyoglobin, which has a brown-grey colour. The rate at which the colour changes depends on a number of factors.
Why is the inside of mince brown?
When the meat is exposed to air during the mincing process, oxymyoglobin is formed, with its bright red colour.
Most fresh meat sold in supermarkets is packaged in a clear film that allows oxygen to pass through it. As a result, there is plenty of oxygen available to maintain the bright red colour on the surface of the meat. However, beneath the surface and on the bottom of the meat, where there is less exposure to oxygen, the colour is much less red and may have become brown-grey.
Minced meat is more liable to change colour than other whole cuts of meat because of its larger surface area.
If the brown-grey coloured meat under the surface of the mince is allowed to come in contact with oxygen, it will usually ‘bloom’ to the bright red colour.
When is minced meat spoiled?
The colour change in mince does not mean that the meat is old or stale. The minced meat remains safe to eat as long as it has been correctly refrigerated and has been purchased and consumed by the use-by date on the package.
However, because of the large surface area of mince, it tends to have a shorter shelf life than other meat. If a package of minced meat or other meat is a brown-grey colour on the surface and all the way through, then it may be spoiled. The way to tell if meat is spoiled is that it will give off an obvious ‘sour’ or ‘off’ smell and feel tacky to the touch.
Don't take any chances with spoiled meat. When in doubt, toss it out.
Tips for buying and handling minced meat
- When shopping, select and buy meat last to ensure it stays cold as long as possible.
- Choose packages that are cold, tightly wrapped and have no tears or punctures.
- Make sure the package does not contain excessive amounts of liquid. Liquid may indicate it has not been kept cold enough or has been stored for too long.
Cooking mince
The same type of colour change occurs when mince meat is cooked. It changes colour from red to brown. If the meat is already brown before cooking, it may be difficult to tell when it is cooked as it will not go through this colour change during cooking. Minced meat must be cooked to a minimum of 71oC and this should be checked with a thermometer.
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