Just because chicken is pink doesn't always mean it's unsafe — here's how to tell if it's OK to eat (2024)

FAQs

Is chicken safe to eat if it's slightly pink? ›

Safely cooked poultry can vary in color from white to pink to tan. All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (73.9°C) as measured with a food thermometer. For whole poultry, check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.

The USDA recommends that all poultry be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees to reduce the likelihood of foodborne illness, though dark meat can be juicier at temperatures up to 195 degrees. Do not rely on the color of the meat or juices to determine whether chicken is ready to eat.

If your chicken is slimy, has a foul smell, or has changed to a yellow, green, or gray color, these are signs that your chicken has gone bad. Toss any chicken that's past its use-by date, has been in the fridge for more than 2 days raw or 4 day cooked, or has been in the temperature danger zone for over 2 hours.

Chemical changes occur during cooking. Oven gases in a heated gas or electric oven react chemically with hemoglobin in the meat tissues to give it a pink tinge. Often meat of younger birds shows the most pink because their thinner skins permit oven gases to reach the flesh.

If you eat undercooked chicken, you can get a foodborne illness, also called food poisoning. You can also get sick if you eat other foods or beverages that are contaminated by raw chicken or its juices. CDC estimates that every year in the United States about 1 million people get sick from eating contaminated poultry.

The USDA says that as long as all parts of the chicken have reached a minimum internal temperature of 165°, it is safe to eat. Color does not indicate doneness. The USDA further explains that even fully cooked poultry can sometimes show a pinkish tinge in the meat and juices.

All of these foodborne pathogens can cause diarrhoea usually alongside nausea and vomiting, fever, and abdominal cramps, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And, all it may take is one or two bites.

Many people with mild cases of food poisoning think they have stomach flu. The time it takes food poisoning symptoms to start can vary. Illness often starts in about 1 to 3 days. But symptoms can start any time from 30 minutes to 3 weeks after eating contaminated food.

Symptoms from the most common types of food poisoning will often start within 2 to 6 hours of eating the food. That time may be longer or shorter, depending on the cause of the food poisoning. Possible symptoms include: Abdominal cramps.

Eating spoiled chicken can cause foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning. Chicken has a high risk of causing food poisoning, as it may be contaminated with bacteria like Campylobacter, Salmonella, and more (4). Normally, these bacteria are eliminated when you cook fresh chicken thoroughly.

What are the signs of spoiled raw chicken? ›

Spoilage bacteria can cause meat or poultry to turn a dark color, develop an objectionable odor, and become slimy from the high bacterial numbers. Meat with these characteristics should not be used. To prevent food spoilage, foods should be stored at safe temperatures.

Can you eat chicken that's pink? In short, yes! High-quality chicken has a greater potential to appear pink, especially with really fresh chicken like the kind you would find at a farmers market. It's more important to pay attention to the temperature rather than the color.

Common Myth: “Chicken is Done When the Juices Run Clear”

The fact of the matter is that depending upon where you probe your chicken, the color of the meat or juices may never be free of pink, red, or even purple tones.

Color and packaging

Fresh raw chicken should have a light pink hue to it with fat parts being white. If the color fades, it's looking yellow or gray in color, has mold or a different color tinge, it's no longer safe to eat.

Make a cut and look for a white-ish meat color inside the chicken. Slice open the thickest part of your chicken and check the color—cooked chicken should be white, very light pink, or light tan on the inside with no glaring, shiny pink areas. If there are large pink areas, the chicken needs more time.

Persistent Pink Color in Cooked Meat Patties

When thoroughly cooked, the myoglobin, oxymyoglobin, and metmyoglobin pigments of normal meat are converted (i.e. denatured) to denatured hemichrome, the grey pigment of cooked meat. Meat with a pH of 6.0 or higher can remain pink at 159.8 degrees F.

Unfortunately, once you eat raw chicken, there's not much you can do about it. Chugging water or rinsing your mouth won't bring on any magical fixes. And forcing yourself to vomit? 'That won't help either,' Dr.

Red veins in chicken are blood vessels that have not been completely removed during the butchering process. These veins can be found in both raw and cooked chicken, and they may appear as thin red lines or streaks in the meat.