A user on TikTok is calling out Walmart after seeing raw meat that had turned brown still for sale on the store’s shelves.
In a video with over 88,000 views as of Sunday, TikTok user Allisha Riley (@listwithallishanext) shows rows of ground beef and other beef products at Walmart. Many of the items have turned brown.
“This why I don’t buy meat from @walmart They don’t care about selling this sh*t,” she writes in the text overlaying the video. In the caption, she adds, “@Walmart Dont care about us! Walking by and seeing this brown ish…”
@listwithallishanext @Walmart Dont care about us! Walking by and seeing this brown ish… #fyp #walmart #meat ♬ Oh No – Kreepa
While raw brown meat may look unpleasant, it can still be safe to eat.
“Oxygen reacts with myoglobin (a protein found in muscles), causing the meat to darken,” food scientist Brittany Towers tells SimplyRecipes.
As a result, the color of meat is not the best indicator of whether the meat is safe to eat. Instead, experts advise using all of one’s senses to inspect the meat. As Towers puts it, “As long as ground beef isn’t slimy or doesn’t smell bad the color doesn’t matter.”
Still, many users on TikTok took the meat’s brown color as an indication of poor quality.
“Would never buy Walmart ‘fresh’ meat,” a user said. “Looks awful.”
“Walmart meat is nasty tasting even when its fresh,” another dded.
“My dog won’t even eat the meat from there,” a third user commented. “I’m starting to think she’s smarter then most of us.”
Others advised that meat should be purchased from a local butcher.
“I dont buy meat from anywhere that doesn’t have an onsite butcher,” stated a commenter.
“I only buy meat half cow at a time from a local butcher I trust,” offered a second. “Expensive, but worth.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Walmart via its media relations contact form and Riley via TikTok comment.
