Has your pork ever smelled like rotten eggs when you bought it at the store? It’s not uncommon for people to remark about the strong sulfur scent.
You may have pondered if the meat is still edible and, if so, how to eliminate the odor. We can assist if you’re one of the many individuals asking how this eggy odor got on your pork.
By reading our explanation below, you may learn why and how pork begins to smell like rotten eggs.
Reasons for the Pork Smell Like Eggs
It’s important to note that this problem almost only affects pork purchased from a supermarket. This issue does not affect pork purchased from a butcher or farmer’s market that has not been vacuum packaged.
There is a clear explanation why this is the case, and it’s not a fluke. Cryovac is a popular method for storing meat in supermarkets.
Vacuum packing is an excellent way for keeping meat, which is why your pork may occasionally smell like eggs.
Specifically, the Cryovac entirely seals off the pork wrapping, thereby vacuum-sealing the meat inside. Because of the vacuum packing and the absence of air, the meat takes on a sulfurous odor.
To prevent contamination and extend the shelf life of fresh meat, nearly all of it sold in supermarkets today is vacuum packaged.
The meat is placed in a heavy-gauge plastic bag, and all air is expelled. While being preserved, the meat’s fluids may begin to change color and produce an odd stench.
Without gaining or losing any weight, the meat matures and becomes softer. Cryovacced meat is typically chilled at 2 °C, which is just over the freezing point but is not frozen.
Frozen meat may be stored in a vacuum bag for a few months.
The meat can be stored in this manner for a few months. It’s possible that you’ll smell something foul when you open the package, but that’s quite normal. Or the meat could be faulty. Then, how do we tell the difference?
Many people mistakenly believe that the pork has taken on an egg-like odor because of the similarity between the smells of rotten eggs and sulfur. Even if your meat has a sulfur smell, it may not necessarily be rotting.
Most of the time, you’ll be able to get rid of the smell pretty effortlessly and securely.
How to Remove the Smell
To eliminate the odor, rinse the meat under cold running water. Don’t splash the water since you don’t want to get droplets all over your kitchen.
Add some fresh lemon juice to the last rinse water if desired. After washing the meat, blot it dry with disposable paper towels and allow it to rest at room temperature for half an hour prior to cooking.
The meat will cook more uniformly and lose its odor if it is tempered before cooking. If the meat has a little odor and its color has returned to normal after this time period, it is okay to cook.
What If the Meat Smells Terrible?
Cryovac meat has a tangy, sulfurous flavor but should not have a terrible, nasty stench. Cooking and eating the meat if it still smells bad after you’ve cleaned and waited is a no-no. It might have gone bad.
Attempt to return the item in its original packing if at all feasible. Always inspect the plastic seal before you open it.
Rather than dangling loosely over the meat, the plastic should be suctioned over it. Check the container’s expiration date. Another clue that the meat has gone bad is if juices begin to seep out of the packing.
An issue arises if, after 30 minutes of airing, the meat is still greyish or brownish rather than pink or red.
Feeling the surface of the meat can also reveal if it has gone bad. It should feel natural, wet, and clean. If it doesn’t, it’s not right. Indicating the presence of microorganisms
The most important thing is to rely on your intuition. Throw it away if you’re not sure. If you have any doubts about the quality of the pork, don’t eat it. When first opened, a vacuum-packed chunk of pork should have a weird fragrance but not be nasty.
Methods for Identifying Rotten Pork
Smell
Pork does smell like bad eggs, but the stench of bad and decaying pork is worse. The smell of rotten pork is disagreeable and overpowering, and so strong that it can make you feel sick.
Therefore, if your pig meat smells like rotting eggs, you should likely return it to the store or discard it.
Squeeze the meat
You do not have to rely just on your sense of smell to determine whether meat is spoiled; you can also use your sense of touch. Good pig flesh is fresh, has a firm texture, and will spring back when pressed. Therefore, if you touch your meat and find it too soft or firm, you should be suspicious of its state.
In addition, if the surface of the meat feels slimy when you touch it, it must be discarded.
Mold
Moldy food is terrible, and you should not even consider eating the meat if it has mold on it. Even if you can remove the mold from the meat, you should not consume it since it has penetrated the meat to an inaccessible depth.
Color
You may determine whether or not your meat is fresh based just on its color; fresh pork is red to pink with a few white threads.
If pork begins to take on a brownish hue, it is a sign that the flesh is old and may deteriorate. If you observe grey and green hues on the meat, you must discard it since it is already spoiled and harmful.
Do the egg smell in pork pose a health risk?
The fragrance of the ground pork isn’t enough to tell us how good it is.
Even while the distinct eggy smell is not pleasant, it may be safe in some circumstances when the meat is not affected and the scent eventually vanishes.
Ground pork that smells like eggs, on the other hand, is usually a sign of rotten meat.
This implies that if you place your family’s health above all else, you should reject the meat and locate a substitute or purchase a higher-quality bag of ground pork.
Prepare the meat
It doesn’t matter if the meat has been vacuum-packed; it should still have a beautiful, mouth-watering aroma as it browns and cooks. Throw it away if it still smells bad after cooking. While cooking, if something doesn’t smell right, it’s probably awful.
This information may have answered your query regarding why pork smells like eggs.