In our experience at the counter, this is one of the most common questions we get from customers. When breaking the mince on the shelf up into the requested size, they start looking a bit worried — it's bright red on the outside, but once broken open, the middle is grey or brownish. Fair question — does that mean it's off?
Nine times out of ten, no. It's just how meat behaves once oxygen gets to it. Let's get into what's actually going on, and while we're at it, address the sulphite question that's been doing the rounds after some recent food fraud reporting.
Red outside, grey inside usually just means the surface has had more contact with oxygen than the tightly packed centre. It's a natural pigment reaction called blooming — not a sign the mince has gone off.
Myoglobin is the natural pigment in beef that gives it colour. When it comes into contact with oxygen, it turns bright cherry red through a process called blooming — usually within 15 to 30 minutes (AMPC, 2026).
The outside of a tray of mince (or packet of mince) gets plenty of oxygen and blooms red. The tightly packed centre doesn't get much air at all, so it can stay darker, purplish or grey-brown. Break the mince apart and leave it exposed to air for a few minutes, and a fair bit of that colour comes good on its own.
Short answer: not by itself. Colour gets knocked around by oxygen exposure, packaging, temperature and lighting, on top of the way meat pigments naturally oxidise over time (AMPC, 2026). In other words, none of that tells you whether mince has actually turned.
What actually matters is:
If it's gone sticky or slimy, or the smell's turned, bin it — no argument there. But a grey patch on its own isn't the test.
There's a real issue behind this question, and it's worth naming plainly. Recent food fraud reporting in Australia — including the ABC's Four Corners investigation into food authenticity — has put a spotlight on additives used to make food look better than it is. Additive 223 is the preservative that comes up most in this context, better known as sodium metabisulphite.
Under the Food Standards Code, sulphur dioxide and sulphites aren't permitted in raw or minced meat at all. They're only allowed in some processed products like sausages, and even then capped at 500mg/kg (NSW Food Authority, 2026; Queensland Health, 2026). It's not just a labelling issue either — in fact, sulphites can trigger reactions in some people, particularly some with asthma.
None of this means a grey patch proves your mince is additive-free, or that red mince has been treated. Colour alone can't prove either way. Only proper testing can.
Usually, yes — as long as it's within its use-by date, has been kept properly refrigerated, and smells and feels normal. A darker centre by itself isn't a safety issue. What's actually worth worrying about is an off smell, a sticky or slimy texture, or mince past its use-by date.
Breaking it apart and giving it a few minutes of air exposure often brings some red colour back, since the pigment re-blooms when it meets oxygen. It's a cosmetic change though — it doesn't tell you anything extra about freshness either way.
At Pryde Butchery, our mince is prepared fresh throughout the day, and we don't add sulphites to artificially preserve its colour. So if you spot some natural colour variation in a pack, that's just real meat doing what real meat does. Better meat doesn't need to be disguised.
Ready to see it for yourself? Order our premium grass-fed beef mince below, or if you're after inspiration, our meatloaf recipe is a good place to put it to use.
