What To Do If Your Frozen Steak's Packaging Is Damaged

The convenience of having a steak or two ready in the freezer is hard to beat. You can take the meat out when you're ready to cook it and even stock up if a store is running an extra good deal. But as things get reshuffled in your freezer over time, the steak packaging can get damaged. Recognizing whether that steak is still safe to eat or not is one of the food safety tips every home cook needs to know. According to the USDA, if the package gets damaged after the steak is already frozen, the meat remains safe to eat.

Frozen food is safe without preservatives because freezing stops the growth of bacteria. As long as your steak was stored below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, there's nothing to worry about in terms of safety. That said, if you didn't notice the compromised package straight away, you might see bits of freezer burn on your frozen steak — that happened because the meat came in contact with the air inside your freezer. Freezer-burnt food will not make you sick, although it does have a slightly changed quality. To prevent further freezer burn and quality damage to your steak, rewrap it in plastic or aluminum foil and place it inside another bag for maximum protection from the air.

The FDA advises against buying meat products with visibly damaged packaging, which includes frozen meats. When a frozen steak already has a damaged package in the store, you have no way of knowing what caused the damage, how long it has been present, or whether the steak was already frozen by the time the rupture occurred. It's highly likely that the steak inside a damaged package was exposed to open air, which compromises its safety because the air is full of bacteria. If this exposure happened at warmer temperatures than those of the freezer, the spoilage process could have already begun by the time that steak landed in the grocery store. So, if you see it on the shelf, do skip it.

If you purchased frozen steak with a damaged package by accident, closely examine it for any signs that say your frozen steak should be thrown out. Liquid inside the package, discoloration, and poor odor all indicate spoilage. You can also test the texture of the steak once you thaw it by pressing it with your finger. If the meat doesn't bounce back, the steak doesn't have good quality anymore. Another sign of spoilage is a wet and sticky texture. Finally, if you're unsure about the safety or quality of your meat, you can always call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline.