- 1). Observe the color. While duck meat, along with goose, is inherently darker in color, spoiled meat takes on either a yellowish-greenish or grayish cast. This discoloration occurs when colonies of bacteria reproduce on the surface of the raw duck meat.
- 2). Feel the texture of the meat. Fresh duck meat should feel wet but not slimy. A slimy surface is indicative of bacterial growth. The book "Poultry Meat Processing" suggests that a slimy surface occurs when bacteria feed and metabolize poultry muscle. Sliminess is a byproduct.
- 3). Sniff the duck meat. Though duck meat is naturally gamy, spoiled duck meat assumes a putrid odor. According to the website Chefs Best, fresh duck meat should smell clean without odors. A sulfur, "skunky" or moldy dishrag smell is evidence of S. putrefaciens and Pseudomonas, both odor-producing bacteria present on spoiled chicken and duck.
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