Is Beef Fresh?

We measured total plate count, testing for a broad class of bacteria whose presence in large numbers can indicate that beef has been sitting around too long, has been produced under unsanitary conditions, or has been mishandled. Our samples were bought on or before a "sell by" or "freeze by" date and at least a day before a "use by" date.

Spoilage bacteria can cause food to stink or feel slimy, but they generally don't make you sick. Nine of our 198 samples had a plate count high enough to suggest that they were almost spoiled.

We detected a trend that might help you choose fresher meat: Case-ready ground beef, packaged in the factory and not touched again until it reaches your kitchen, usually had a lower total plate count than beef ground and wrapped in the supermarket. You can identify case-ready beef in stores by its packaging: It's usually in extra-deep foam trays with a plastic sheet stretched across the top. Inside is a mix of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide that slows bacterial growth.