To tell if ground turkey is bad, check the following signs using your senses of sight, smell, and touch:

• Color: Fresh ground turkey should be light pink with some white fat specks. If it turns dull, gray, brown, or yellowish, it is likely spoiled and should be discarded

• Smell: Fresh turkey has a mild or neutral odor. A sour, pungent, sulfuric, or rotten egg-like smell indicates spoilage and the meat should not be consumed

• Texture: Fresh ground turkey is moist but not slimy or sticky. A slimy, tacky, or sticky surface texture is a strong sign of bacterial growth and spoilage

• Other signs: Mold or freezer burn (white or gray discoloration and ice crystals) can affect quality; freezer burn doesn’t always mean spoiled but the meat should be used soon if freezer burned

Additional tips:

• Use ground turkey within 1-2 days of purchase if refrigerated or freeze it immediately for longer storage

• Cooking spoiled turkey won’t make it safe as harmful bacteria can survive

• When in doubt, throw it out to avoid food poisoning risks

In summary, if your ground turkey has any off color, foul odor, or slimy texture, it is bad and should be discarded.