I need some advice please. My staff do a smell test each time we open a package for processing. I know that in vacuum packed beef you will sometimes get a sulfur-like smell that, if left to air-out will dissipate and doesn't mean that the meat has gone off. But how do you tell that smell from a legitimate off-smell? What percentage of vacuum-stink is too high? We've recently gotten in some pork ribs that are just bulk packed and frozen that will really give a bad smell when the box is first opened, but that smell seems to go away. We handle a fair bit of chilled-frozen product that, if there was a bad seal on the bag before it was frozen, will have legitimately gone off during shipment. How do we tell the difference between that and something that just smells off because of anaerobic bacterial growth in the bag?
I'd be very grateful to hear how others handle this.
like bone in pork butts, and even bone in pork loins, if a leaker (vac seal is broken)
anyways, this is a judgement call by all of us..
most will let the item "air out" then come back to it
like bad fish or chicken, it will let you know,,,
cut into the pork and take a wiff... if the inside stinks dump it..
red meat has a musky aroma,,,sometimes you come across a particular primal we use to call a "heater" and it would smell very bad-no question it was dumped..
when in doubt, throw it out,,,
if unsure and its chicken or pork.. and you think its ok,,,,then cook it,,,
