Rant: The whole shop smelled like vinegar after a bad batch of venison last fall

We processed a big whitetail for a customer in October, and the meat had a strong, sour smell when we opened the cavity. My boss at the time in the Springfield shop just said to trim it heavy and carry on, but it ruined the whole grind for the day. Do you guys have a hard rule for when you turn away game that just doesn't smell right?

3 comments

3 Comments

lane.drew25d ago

Yeah, that "ruined the whole grind" feeling is the worst. I've been there, and @noahclark is right, it's a huge risk for your shop's name. My hard rule is if the sour smell is in the muscle after heavy trimming, it's a no-go. Better to lose one sale than have someone get sick.

noahclark26d ago

Man, that's rough. I mean, if the smell is that strong in the whole shop, it's gotta be in the meat itself, right? I'd worry about the customer getting sick and blaming you guys. Maybe the boss was just trying to save the sale, but that seems like a big risk.

troy_ross7d ago

Yeah, the "save the sale" part is what gets me. I read a food safety thing that said smell is the first sign of spoilage bacteria. Once it's in the air like that, it's too far gone to trust.