Is the Red Juice in Raw Meat Actually Blood? Is It Safe?

Is the Red Juice in Raw Meat Blood? Is It Safe?

Have you ever brought home fresh meat from the butcher and noticed red liquid dripping from it? You may have wondered;

“Is this blood?” or even being concerned about the safety of consuming it. Let’s clear things up in this post, which will be short and straight to the point.

The Red Juice in Raw Meat isn’t blood; it’s a mixture of water and a protein called myoglobin.

Myoglobin is found in muscle tissues and helps store oxygen in cells. When meat is cut, the myoglobin mixes with water, giving the liquid its reddish color, which can easily be mistaken for blood.

Red Juice in Raw Meat

The red juice in raw meat is often mistaken for blood, but it is a mixture of water and a protein called myoglobin.

Myoglobin stores oxygen in muscle cells, and when meat is cut, it mixes with water and forms the reddish liquid you see.

This is most common in beef, which has higher levels of myoglobin than meats like chicken or pork.

The presence of myoglobin and the liquid is completely normal and safe to eat when the meat is properly cooked to the right internal temperature.

Is It Safe?

Yes, it is completely safe. This red juice is harmless, provided the meat has been properly stored and handled. Once the meat is cooked thoroughly, any potential bacteria or pathogens on the surface will be eliminated, making it safe to eat.

What Exactly Is the Red Juice?

To be clear, this juice is not blood. During the slaughter process, most of the blood is drained, leaving very little in the muscle tissue.

What you see is primarily water mixed with myoglobin, which also contains iron—hence the red color.

In a sense, myoglobin is related to hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen in the blood) but serves a different function in muscle tissue.

Myoglobin vs. Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is responsible for the red color of blood, while myoglobin gives meat its reddish tint.

Myoglobin’s iron content is also why meat turns dark brown outside and gray inside when cooked—the iron oxidizes, changing color.

Meat from mammals tends to have more myoglobin, making it “red meat.” In contrast, animals like chickens have lower myoglobin levels, giving them the classification of “white meat.”

The more myoglobin in the meat, the redder it appears.

Conclusion

The more myoglobin a meat has, the redder the meat. Conclusively, this juice that comes out from fresh or raw meat is not blood.

It is myoglobin and most of it is even lost when you cook the meat. It’s perfectly safe to consume when cooked properly.