5 Warning Signs That Pork Has Gone Bad

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Plus, storage tips to help your meat last longer

Co-authored by Aly Rusciano Reviewed by Chef Jeff Woodward

Last Updated: August 14, 2024 Fact Checked

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Signs Pork Has Gone Bad

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How long is pork good for?

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Safe Practices

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Eating Bad Pork

So, you’re in the mood for pork chops, but you’re not sure if the meat you bought last week is still good. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place! There are 5 leading signs of spoilage in pork: it smells rotten, it looks yellow or gray, it’s slimy, it’s in bloated packaging, or it’s past the sell-by date. In this article, we’ll explain all these signs and share how you can store your pork to make it last longer.

How to Tell if Pork is Spoiled: Quick Overview

Your pork likely isn’t safe to eat if the meat smells sour, looks yellow or gray, has a slimy coating, or is in a bloated package. To avoid this, ensure that the meat is stored correctly and consumed or frozen within 3 to 5 days of purchasing.

Section 1 of 4:

Signs Pork Has Gone Bad

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Take a whiff of the meat. Meat doesn’t normally have a strong odor. So, do not eat it if it smells spoiled, sour, or pungent. This is a leading sign of spoilage and is a clear indicator that the meat should be thrown out.^{[1]
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A fresh cut of pork has a pinkish hue; as it spoils, this will start to fade. Examine the meat carefully if you suspect it may be spoiled. If the pork has gray spots and/or a yellow hue, it’s gone bad.^{[2]
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Take a good look at the pork. Is there a slime-like film on it, or does it appear sticky? If so, it’s gone bad and should be thrown out. The slime and/or stickiness is a sign of bacteria.^{[3]
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Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA
Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Its packaging is puffy. Examine the pork’s packaging before opening it. When pork is packaged, it’s vacuum-sealed to prevent any bacteria from getting inside. This means that if the packaging is expanded, bloated, or puffy, bacteria are inside the packaging.^{[4]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health

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- When pork (or any meat) goes bad, it produces bacteria that release gasses.
If the sell-by date on your pork’s packaging has passed, the meat is bad. This date is used by retailers to indicate when a food item should be taken off the shelf and thrown out, so follow suit and throw the spoiled meat out!^{[5]
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Section 2 of 4:

How long is pork good for?

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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises using raw pork within 3 to 5 days of purchasing it from the supermarket. Leftover cooked pork can be refrigerated and eaten within 3 to 4 days. It’s recommended to store raw and cooked pork at 40 °F (4 °C).^{[6]
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Pork is good in the freezer for up to 2 months. Raw or cooked pork can be stored in the freezer at 0 °F (−18 °C) or below for 1 to 2 months as long as it’s stored properly.^{[7]
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FoodSafety.gov
Online portal combining food safety information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Go to source} To store pork properly, wrap the meat in aluminum foil and place it inside a freezer bag, making sure to remove all the air before sealing.^{[8]
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- Vacuum sealing your pork is the most effective and safest way to make it last longer in the freezer, but it’s not always the most accessible.

Section 3 of 4:

Safe Practices When Purchasing & Storing Pork

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Always make sure pork’s chilled and refrigerated, whether you’re buying raw or cooked pork. Refrigeration slows the growth of bacteria and prevents the meat from spoiling before the sell-by date.^{[9]
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Pack raw meat in a plastic bag. If you’re purchasing your pork at the grocery store, make sure to place the package of raw meat inside the supplied plastic meat bags. This protects your other groceries from cross-contamination in case there are any spills.^{[10]
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- You can find rolls of plastic meat bags hanging near the grocery store's meat section.
If you have a busy day of errands and won’t be home to put the groceries away for an hour or more, store your pork (and any other perishable or frozen groceries) in an ice box with ice.^{[11]
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Don’t dilly-dally when you come home from the grocery store—put that meat in the fridge or freezer right away. This helps prevent faster spoilage and ensures your meat stays fresh.^{[12]
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Store whole cuts of meat in the original packaging in the fridge. There’s no need to move the pork from its original packaging once you get home. Simply keep it in the plastic bag and put it in the coldest area of your refrigerator.^{[13]
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- If you plan on freezing the meat right away, wrap each cut in aluminum foil and place it inside an airtight freezer bag before storing it in the freezer.^{[14]
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Section 4 of 4:

What happens if you eat bad pork?

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If you eat bad pork, you may experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. It’s extremely important to check any meat before you eat it, as eating bad, contaminated, or undercooked meat could make you very sick. Eating bad or undercooked pork can put you at risk of trichinosis, a food-borne disease caused by a parasite called Trichinella.^{[15]
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Research source} If you eat bad pork, you could experience these symptoms:^{[16]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

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- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Abdominal pain
- Fever
- Headache