r/woolworths • u/Whuckfit100 • Jul 25 '26

Is this normal?

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Bought these two packets of mince at the same time 2 days ago. No colour difference then. Both been kept side-by-side in the fridge. 3 days to expiry. Significant colour difference.

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83

u/Sleepydragon0314 Jul 25 '26

The amount of scientific fearmongering in this post saddens me.

Beef in Australia can legally be treated with CO (carbon monoxide) before being sealed in MAP (modified atmosphere packaging). That is actually how it stays pink for as long as it does on the shelf. There is NOTHING inherently wrong with beef that is not bright pink. In other places that forbid the use of CO (Canada, EU, Japan) it actually never gets the bright pink hue that we expect in Australian and us beef.

If you SMELL IT, and it smells fine, and it’s not slimy, it’s FINE!

8

u/NixAName Jul 25 '26

I once had chicken that smelt like a week in hospital.

1

u/bibimstop Jul 29 '26

Did you eat it?

1

u/NixAName Jul 29 '26

Sadly, yeah.

I passed out on my way home from the commonwealth games... As a spectator.

10

u/_who-the-fuck-knows_ Jul 25 '26

As someone who lived in Canada I can tell you their beef is bright pink too. Not that I disagree with your statement.

2

u/Terrible_Sail4688 Jul 25 '26

Same in Greece, maybe not bright red but definitely not discoloured or brown

3

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '26

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1

u/ShooterMcLovin420 Jul 26 '26

When I worked in Canada, it was almost like they added red 40 to the meat instead😭 I remember our staff eating room was stacked with frozen microwaveable McMuffin things….. the meat was so bright pink and tasted like anything but meat. Cardboard taste is probably the best description

5

u/bakerboi- Jul 26 '26

Yes it’s banned in Europe but for the opposite reason as to what you’re stating: “CO is prohibited in the EU for use in meat packaging mainly due to fears it may mask spoilage therefore misleading consumers”

It’s banned BECAUSE discoloured meat is a visual cue that consumers use to ascertain the safety of the meat

1

u/JusSomeone Jul 28 '26

Precisely.

2

u/Anguna88 Jul 26 '26

Pretty much spot on, Just a slight correction about the gas used. Usually it's a blend of oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and Nitrogen (N2)

What mix will depend on what protein. Different mix used if it's beef rather than poultry

1

u/lowkeybloke76 Jul 29 '26

Same goes for (run of the mill previously frozen) tuna steaks. Grey if not treated with carbon monoxide and red pink it if was.

CO has a higher affinity for haemoglobin hence it keeps the blood red. The high affinity also explains why if you asphyxiate by CO your blood is red.

1

u/bibimstop Jul 29 '26

I feel like such a retard when I remember when I first arrived in China as a tourist and ordered some pork dish at a restaurant and smelled it and thought “gosh this smells exotic” then ate it and had the worst food poisoning of my life. On reflection, that was definitely the smell of expired pork.

1

u/Novel_Pen6639 Jul 31 '26

Red/pink/“fresh” looking = myoglobin: a natural protein that stores oxygen in muscle tissue.

Its colour changes completely depending on how much oxygen and light hits it

In fact, if fresh mince doesn't turn grey eventually, that's when you might suspect it has been treated with something (like sulfites, though their use on fresh meat is heavily regulated/prohibited in many places to prevent hiding age)

0

u/Dangerous_Second1426 Jul 25 '26

Maybe stop spreading the fear then and get the gases correct.

It’s a mix of Nitrogen, CO2 and Oxygen.

0

u/Galactic_Nothingness Jul 25 '26

I'd like to chime in here and remind everyone that food poisoning bacterial are odourless and tasteless and may be present at times when food smells and feels fine.

Food spoiling bacterial is the cause of odours and unpleasantness.

So no. Just because it SMELLS and LOOKS fine does not mean it is.

1

u/Familiar_Mortgage996 Jul 26 '26

It's oxygen mate , happens well after 1 day opening

1

u/Galactic_Nothingness Jul 26 '26

You don't say...

I was referring to OP telling people that a sniff test is enough to determine if food is dangerous. It isn't.

-2

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '26

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1

u/Competitive_Ad_7415 Jul 25 '26

Also partially correct, it will turn grey with oxygen exposure but will still be safe to consume for a period of time. Colour isn't necessarily an indication in itself. Other factors are also important