Experts have named the easiest way to identify meat that will spoil soon

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When when it comes to food safety, meat should be one of the top priorities. Raw animal products are most prone to contamination with harmful bacteria, such as E. coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella.

However, simply throwing away meat that is not the first freshness is uneconomical and pointless. It is enough to understand what signs indicate the rapid deterioration of the product. It is still safe to use in this case.

There is a common misconception that meat that has turned a little brown has already gone bad. In fact, meat changes color during storage because the myoglobin molecules inside it are exposed to oxygen. However, a change in color indicates rapid spoilage, so such meat should be cooked immediately.

“The color of meat sometimes changes during storage. If the piece does not have an unpleasant smell and a sticky coating on top, everything is fine. If there's a smell and stickiness, you'll have to throw it away,” says Argiris Magoulas, a specialist with the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA.

Magoulas added that ground beef should always be used within one to two days of purchases, and other pieces of meat should be consumed within three to five days for optimal freshness and safety.