The Bottom Line
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Opening a package of ground beef and finding a grey, brown, or purplish center can certainly be surprising.
But it doesn’t automatically mean the grocery store scammed you.
The red color on the outside and darker
color inside can result from differences in oxygen exposure and changes involving myoglobin, the natural pigment-containing protein in meat.
What matters is not one color in isolation.
Look at storage conditions, time, odor, texture, packaging, and proper cooking.
If the meat was kept cold, is within an appropriate storage period, has no convincing signs of spoilage, and is cooked properly, a darker interior alone isn’t necessarily cause for alarm.
On the other hand, don’t let an attractive red exterior convince you that meat is automatically safe.
Food safety is bigger than color.
And the next time you split open a package of ground beef and discover that the center doesn’t match the bright red exterior, you’ll know there may be a perfectly ordinary explanation hiding underneath.
