The Gross Meat Department Red Flag That's A Major Food Safety Issue

When perusing the meat aisle of the grocery store, picking good meat isn't just about flavor. It's about keeping you and your loved ones safe. So, when shopping for meat, we recommend looking out for a crucial safety issue: torn or leaking packages.

Those cracked and leaky bags aren't just gross or messy — they're a legitimate safety hazard and one of the most important red flags in grocery store meat departments. When packages fail, it's a two-way street. Juices and meat spill out, but harmful bacteria also find their way in. After all, bacteria are everywhere, including in the air we breathe. And when meat packages are ripped, bacteria may get into that meat and multiply. Torn packages also run the risk of surface contaminants. If people accidentally touch that exposed chicken breast, any germs from their hands can be transferred to the poultry. And when ripped bags of ground beef drip into other products, they can spread pathogens throughout your cart and kitchen. Ultimately, these contaminants can lead to food poisoning, causing an array of symptoms including nausea, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues.

Customers occasionally handle meat products roughly, tearing the thin plastic wrap and neglecting to notify staff. However, store workers should be running quality control and catching such issues before they become safety hazards. If you notice a torn package for the first time, alert staff so they can remove it. But if you're regularly seeing this problem at your go-to grocery store, consider purchasing meat elsewhere. Consistently torn or leaking packages are telltale signs that the meat department isn't taking the proper precautions to keep you safe.

One other sign that your meat isn't stored correctly? Excess juice. Some moisture is totally normal, since the airtight packaging works as a vacuum, gradually pulling liquid from the meat over time. That's why there's an absorbent pad in meat packaging to soak up excess liquid and keep meat fresh and clean. But when your meat is practically swimming in liquid, it points to a lack of freshness. Plus, all that juiciness has left the actual meat, leaving you with a disappointingly dry dinner.

Although you don't need to immediately toss bloated meat packages, you should be wary of them. The bloating may simply be due to changes in air pressure during transfer or storage. Unfortunately, it could also be a sign of bacterial growth inside the product. Microbes produce gas as they grow, and if that gas can't be released, the package will inevitably expand.

If you haven't purchased the product, we wouldn't risk it — opt for a normal-looking package instead. But if you've already brought the product home, pay attention to other signs of spoilage like foul odors, slimy texture, and discoloration.