Food freshness guides

Is It Bad? How to Tell If Food Has Gone Bad

Smell, look, feel, and the calendar. Pick a food to see the warning signs, what's harmless, and how long it really lasts.

Produce

Onions A bad onion feels soft, mushy, or wet, and often has dark mold under the papery skin or a sour, rotten… Garlic Bad garlic turns soft, slimy, or shriveled, with brown or yellow cloves, mold, or a sour smell. A green… Potatoes Bad potatoes are soft, wrinkled, slimy, or moldy, with a musty smell. Deep green skin or a bitter taste… Sweet Potatoes Bad sweet potatoes get soft, mushy, and wet, with dark sunken spots, mold, or a sour, fermented smell. A… Avocados A bad avocado feels mushy and sunken, has dark stringy or black flesh inside, and smells sour or rancid.… Bananas Bananas are bad when they leak liquid, have fuzzy mold, smell fermented or alcoholic, or are mushy and black… Apples A bad apple is mushy, wrinkled, or leaking, with brown rotting patches, mold, or a fermented smell. Firm… Lemons and Limes Lemons and limes are bad when they’re mushy, shriveled, or moldy, with white-green fuzz or a sour fermented… Tomatoes Bad tomatoes are mushy, leaking, and wrinkled, with mold, dark sunken spots, or a sour smell. A tomato… Lettuce Bad lettuce is slimy, wet, and dark at the edges or core, with a sour smell. A little browning on the cut… Spinach Bad spinach turns slimy, dark green to black, and wet, with a sour, sulfur-like smell. A few wilted or… Strawberries Bad strawberries have white or gray fuzzy mold, soft leaking spots, and a fermented smell. Toss the whole… Blueberries Bad blueberries are shriveled, mushy, or leaking, with white or gray fuzzy mold. Pick out and discard any… Carrots Bad carrots turn slimy, soft, and dark, with a sour smell or mold. A rubbery, bendy carrot or one with a… Mushrooms Bad mushrooms are slimy, sticky, and dark, with a sour, fishy, or ammonia-like smell. Dry, wrinkled… Bell Peppers Bad bell peppers are wrinkled and soft with slimy dark spots, mold, or a sour smell. A slightly wrinkled but… Cucumbers Bad cucumbers are soft, slimy, and sunken, with mold, wet spots, or a sour smell. If one is just a little… Broccoli Bad broccoli turns yellow, slimy, and soft, with dark mushy spots and a strong sulfur smell. A limp stalk or… Celery Bad celery goes soft, slimy, and brown or black, with a sour smell. Limp celery that’s otherwise clean just… Ginger Bad ginger is soft, wet, and moldy, with a sour smell or gray-blue interior. If it’s just a little dry and… Cilantro Bad cilantro turns slimy, dark, and wet, with a sour or rotten smell. A few yellow leaves or a bit of… Zucchini Bad zucchini is soft, wrinkled, and slimy, with dark sunken spots, mold, or a sour smell. A firm zucchini… Green Onions Bad green onions turn slimy, watery, and translucent, with mushy tops and a sour smell. A few dry, yellow…

Meat & Poultry

Chicken Raw chicken that smells sour or like ammonia, feels slimy or sticky, or has turned gray or greenish is bad.… Cooked Chicken Cooked chicken, including rotisserie and leftovers, is bad if it smells sour, feels slimy, or shows fuzzy… Ground Beef Ground beef that smells sour, feels slimy or sticky, or has turned brown or gray all the way through is bad.… Steak Steak is bad if it smells sour or rotten, feels slimy or sticky, or has turned gray, green, or brown across… Pork Pork is bad if it smells sour or sulfurous, feels sticky or slimy, or has turned gray, green, or dull brown.… Bacon Bacon is bad if it smells sour or rancid, feels slimy, or has turned gray, green, or fuzzy. Opened bacon… Deli Meat Deli meat is bad if it feels slimy or sticky, smells sour, or looks dull, green, or iridescent in an off… Ground Turkey Ground turkey is bad if it smells sour or sulfurous, feels slimy or tacky, or turns gray-green. Raw ground… Sausage Sausage is bad if it smells sour, feels slimy, or looks gray or moldy. Raw sausage lasts 1–2 days in the… Ham Ham is bad if it smells sour, feels slimy, or looks gray, green, or fuzzy. Leftover cooked ham lasts 3–4… Hot Dogs Hot dogs are bad if they feel slimy or sticky, smell sour, or look dull, gray, or fuzzy. An opened package…

Seafood

Fish Raw fish that smells sharply fishy or like ammonia, feels slimy or tacky, or has flesh that stays dented… Salmon Bad salmon smells sour or ammonia-like, looks dull and slimy, and leaves a dent when pressed. Raw salmon… Shrimp Shrimp that smells like ammonia, bleach, or strong fish, or feels slimy and mushy, is bad. Raw shrimp lasts… Scallops Bad scallops smell sour, sulfury, or ammonia-like, feel slimy or sticky, and look gray or dull. Raw scallops… Tuna Opened canned tuna that smells sour or sharply fishy, looks slimy, or has an off color should be tossed.… Smoked Salmon Smoked salmon that smells sour or sharply fishy, feels slimy, or looks dull and gray has gone bad. Once… Mussels and Clams Throw out live mussels or clams that stay open when tapped, or any that don't open after cooking. Also toss…

Dairy & Eggs

Eggs Crack the egg into a separate bowl: a sulfur smell, pink or green tint, or slimy white means toss it. Fresh… Milk Milk that smells sour, looks lumpy or yellowish, or feels thick and slimy is bad. Opened milk usually lasts… Butter Rancid butter smells sour, like old oil or cheese, and may taste soapy or bitter. Butter lasts about 1 to 3… Cheese Hard cheese like cheddar or Parmesan is bad if it smells ammonia-like or sour, is slimy, or has pink or… Soft Cheese Soft cheese like brie, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, or goat cheese is bad if it smells sour or like ammonia,… Shredded Cheese Shredded cheese is bad if you see any mold, smell something sour, or feel it turn slimy or sticky. Unlike a… Yogurt Yogurt is bad if it has any fuzzy mold, smells sharply sour or yeasty, or has a fizzy, bloated container.… Sour Cream Sour cream is bad if it has mold, smells rotten rather than tangy, or looks yellow and slimy. Once opened,… Cream Cheese Cream cheese is bad if it has mold, smells sour or yeasty, or turns slimy or yellow. Opened tubs last about… Heavy Cream Heavy cream is bad if it smells sour, looks lumpy or yellow, or won't pour smoothly. Opened cartons last… Cottage Cheese Cottage cheese is bad if it smells sour or yeasty, looks slimy or yellow, or has any mold. Opened tubs keep…

Bread & Pantry

Bread Bread is bad if you see any fuzzy mold (white, green, blue, or black), smell a sour or musty odor, or find… Tortillas Tortillas are bad when you see fuzzy mold or dark spots, smell something sour or musty, or feel a slimy… Cooked Rice Cooked rice should be refrigerated within 1 hour and eaten within 3 to 4 days. Rice left out longer than 2… Cooked Pasta Cooked pasta is bad if it smells sour, feels slimy, or shows mold, and should be tossed after 3 to 5 days in… Leftovers Most cooked leftovers are good for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, and should be thrown out if they smell off,… Tofu Tofu is bad if it smells sour, feels slimy, or has pink, gray, or fuzzy spots. Opened tofu keeps about 3 to… Flour Flour is bad if it smells musty, sour, or like old paint, has clumps from moisture, shows mold, or contains… Spices Spices rarely become unsafe. They lose flavor over time, so the real test is smell: if rubbing a pinch… Dried Herbs Dried herbs rarely turn unsafe but lose flavor within 1 to 3 years. If they smell like hay or dust instead… Olive Oil Olive oil is bad when it smells like crayons, putty, or stale nuts and tastes bitter or greasy. Unopened it… Nuts Nuts are bad if they smell like paint or old oil, taste bitter or sour, or show mold or shriveled, dark… Peanut Butter Peanut butter is bad if it smells sharp like paint or old oil, tastes bitter, or shows mold. Unopened it… Maple Syrup Maple syrup is bad if you see mold floating on top or on the cap, or it smells sour or fermented. Unopened… Mayonnaise Mayonnaise is bad if it smells sour or rancid, has turned yellow or watery, or shows mold. Opened jars keep… Salsa Salsa is bad if you see mold, smell something sour or fermented, or notice fizzing or a bulging lid. Opened… Hummus Hummus is bad if it smells sour or yeasty, tastes tangy in the wrong way, or shows mold or pink… Jarred Pasta Sauce Jarred pasta sauce is bad if you see mold, smell a sour or fermented odor, or hear a hiss or see a bulging… Soy Sauce Soy sauce is very shelf-stable, but it's bad if it smells sour or off, shows mold, or tastes flat and harsh.…

General guidance based on USDA FoodKeeper. When in doubt, throw it out.