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| Food Safety: Product Appearance |
What causes dark bones in cooked
poultry?
Darkening of bones and meat around the bones occurs primarily in young
(6-8 weeks) broiler-fryer chickens. Since the bones have not calcified
or hardened completely, pigment from the bone marrow seeps through
the bones and into the surrounding area. Freezing can also contribute
to this darkening. This is an aesthetic issue and not a safety one.
The meat is safe to eat when all parts have reached at least 165 °F.
(Source: The
Color of Meat and Poultry)
What color is safely cooked poultry?
Safely cooked poultry can vary in color from white to pink to tan. For safety when cooking
poultry, use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature. Poultry should reach
a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the product. For a whole chicken
or turkey, check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the
thickest part of the breast. All the meat—including any that remains pink—is safe to eat
as soon as all parts reach at least 165 °F.
(Source: The
Color of Meat and Poultry)
Why is pre-packaged ground beef
red on the outside and sometimes dull, grayish-brown inside?
Oxygen from the air reacts with meat pigments to form a bright red
color which is usually seen on the surface of meat purchased in the
supermarket. The pigment responsible for the red color in meat is
oxymyoglobin, a substance found in all warm-blooded animals. Fresh
cut meat is purplish in color. The interior of the meat may be grayish
brown due to lack of oxygen. If all the meat in the package has turned
grey or brown, it may be beginning to spoil.
(Source: Focus
on Ground Beef)
What causes iridescent colors
on meats?
Meat contains iron, fat, and other compounds. When light hits a slice
of meat, it splits into colors like a rainbow. There are various pigments
in meat compounds that can give it an iridescent or greenish cast
when exposed to heat and processing. Wrapping the meat in airtight
packages and storing it away from light will help prevent this situation.
Iridescence does not represent decreased quality or safety of the
meat.
(Source: The
Color of Meat and Poultry) |
Last Modified:
May 16, 2006 |
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