Coleman Natural Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon is a family favorite. It tastes salty and is crispy and satisfying. The average American eats about 18 pounds of bacon a year, so it’s not surprising that it’s often gone within a day or two of being brought home from the store or delivered to your door.
However, sometimes your bacon might get pushed to the back of the fridge. Or perhaps you find yourself buying a bit more than your family can eat. Before long, you might be wondering whether your bacon has gone bad or is still edible.
No matter how natural the ingredients are that are used to cure and smoke our bacon, it doesn’t stay fresh forever. If you want to know if your bacon is safe to eat, let’s talk about how it was packaged and four signs that it’s time to throw it away. Table of Contents.
Bacon is one of those foods that seems to last forever in the fridge. Even if you notice your pack is past its expiration or “best by” date you may wonder if it’s still okay to cook up those strips for breakfast. But is eating bacon 3 days after it’s expired really safe? Let’s find out.
Why Do Packaged Foods Have Expiration Dates?
First it helps to understand why expiration dates exist in the first place. These dates are meant to indicate the following
- When the product is at peak quality and freshness
- How long the manufacturer can guarantee the best flavor and texture
- The last day a store can legally sell the item
So an expiration date doesn’t necessarily mean the food will be unsafe to eat after that date. With unopened, properly stored bacon, it’s very possible it could be fine for a few days past its printed date. But there are some important factors to consider before chowing down on “expired” bacon.
How to Tell If Bacon Has Truly Gone Bad
Even if bacon is past its date, certain signs indicate if it’s still okay:
Smell – Uncooked bacon has a meaty smell. Discard if the smell is sour or off.
Texture – The fat should be firm and the meat shouldn’t be slimy. If either seem off, don’t use it.
Mold – Any mold spots mean bacon should be tossed out. Don’t just cut them off!
Color – Raw bacon ranges from pink to deep red. Avoid bacon that looks brown or gray.
Packaging – Bulging, rusty cans or torn plastic mean don’t eat it. Resealable packs that still seal tightly are better bets.
If you detect any unpleasant odors, textures, or visual signs, that bacon is past its prime and needs to be discarded, even if the date hasn’t quite passed yet. Trust your senses over the calendar in this case.
The Dangers of Eating Spoiled Bacon
Eating rancid bacon comes with some potential health hazards you don’t want to risk. These include:
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Foodborne Illness – Spoiled bacon can contain salmonella, E. coli, listeria, or other dangerous bacteria that cause vomiting, fever, and diarrhea.
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Toxins – Bacteria breaking down fats and proteins in old bacon can release toxins that cause cramps, nausea, and headaches.
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Compromised Nutrition – Vitamins like B-12, A, and E degrade over time. Out of date bacon loses nutritional value.
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Off Tastes/Textures – Even if old bacon won’t make you sick, it simply won’t taste or chew right once it has dried out or soured.
Now let’s get back to that original question – is 3 day old expired bacon still good to go?
The Verdict on 3 Day Old Expired Bacon
If properly stored in the fridge, unopened bacon that’s just 3 days past its printed expiration date is likely still safe to cook and eat. The smell, color, and texture shouldn’t have changed much in that short time frame if it was continually refrigerated. However, there are a few precautions to take if you want to chance it:
- Inspect closely and sniff test before cooking
- Make sure the packaging wasn’t opened prior to date lapsing
- Cook thoroughly until crispy to kill any bacteria
- Avoid serving to pregnant women, infants, elderly, or immunocompromised
- Be alert for any signs of spoilage or foodborne illness afterwards
Ultimately, it’s impossible to guarantee the safety of any food a few days past its expiration date. Your best bet is cooking fresh bacon by the date printed on the package. But in a pinch, bacon that’s recently lapsed could likely be cooked and consumed if inspected closely beforehand. Always rely on your senses – if in doubt, throw it out!
IT DOESN’T SMELL QUITE RIGHT
Bacon shouldn’t have a strong, rancid scent. If anything, it should smell a bit smoky.
If you’re met with a sour or sulfuric odor, your bacon has likely gone bad. This stench occurs when bacteria, yeast, and fungi take hold of the bacon. The microbes may produce odors themselves or cause the bacon to release off-putting aromas.
Sometimes bacon’s distinct smoky smell can mask these odors. So, if you’re not sure, you should also look for other signs that your bacon is past its prime.
IT FEELS SLIMY
Fresh bacon that’s safe to consume should feel soft, yet firm to the touch. If you go to grab some bacon and find it slimy, something has gone awry. While some may say that slime is just water leaking out of bacon, this isn’t true. Slime actually occurs when certain types of bacteria begin breaking down the meat.
If you notice that your bacon feels slimy, it’s almost certainly been colonized by bacteria. That means you should toss your bacon rather than risk sickening yourself and your family.
Fresh bacon should have tantalizing strips of white fat marbled with pinkish-red meat. However, this isn’t always the case with a spoiled product.
If you put bacon in the fridge for a week, you might see that it has turned green, gray, or brown. Once again, this discoloration indicates bacteria and/or fungi have colonized your bacon. If you’re guessing this means it’s time to toss your bacon, you’re right!.
Many bacteria, yeasts, and fungi are invisible to the naked-eyed, but some fungi can form on the surface of bacon. According to the USDA, the spores on mold are completely visible. So if you notice any type of mold or growth on the product, your bacon has definitely gone bad.
You might want to cut off the moldy part of the bacon and cook the rest of it, but you shouldn’t. Though you might not be able to see them, fungi are probably growing in the bacon if you can see anything else.