'Pulled immediately': Supermarket under fire for selling 'rotting' bacon

"If this was spotted by an employee it would be pulled immediately"

Cassidy Pearce

2 min read

March 20, 2025 - 11:26AM

Lifestyle

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When shopping for meat at your local supermarket, you wouldn’t be blamed for being a little picky.

You need something that’s the right size, the right number of items, and, perhaps most importantly, the right colour.

One Aussie shopper has discovered just this when picking up bacon at their local Coles - but the reason isn’t quite as dramatic as expected.

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Image: Reddit.

“Rotting!”

A Melbourne shopper has taken to Reddit after picking up bacon that looked a little less than fresh.

“Coles charging $31 per kg for rotting bacon…” the poster wrote.

“Local coles in Crazyburn. Just another reason to source local meats.”

In the photos provided, the bacon looks more than a little grey - I wouldn’t be picking it up off the shelf!

“Is it actually edible?”

Many commenters on the post were incredibly alarmed by the discovery.

“Looks like a day off sick,” one commenter said.

“Is it actually edible?” said another.

“If this was spotted by an employee it would be pulled immediately,” a third person said.

“That meat isn’t rotten”

But, others said the poster was being dramatic, saying the discolouration was simply caused either by the lighting, or by a small issue with the packaging.

“That meat isn't rotten. I wouldn't be concerned unless the plastic cover is swollen or torn somewhere,” one person said.

“The packaging has been compromised. Little pin hole or tear somewhere. Happens in every shop to every pre packed line,” another agreed.

“It's oxidisation, and bro, even if it were rotting, you'd simply let a team member know, and they'll take it off show. This is such a non-issue,” a third suggested.

“Not rotting, it’s usually oxidation and colour damage from the shelf lighting,” another agreed.

“It could also be going bad”

However, fine as it may be, some still had their concerns, warning shoppers to tread carefully.

“People keep saying that the meat is fine, and yes while that may be true, it still suggests the packaging had been pierced or broken, which increases the likelihood that it is off or will go off faster,” said one person.

“As long as it’s not out of date, and the package isn’t broken - [it is edible] (probably). The problem is that it could also be going bad, but usually it’s obvious due to a broken seal, and it has become slimy,” another agreed.

In a statement to Kidspot, Coles confirmed that whilst edible, the bacon should not have been on the shelves.

“From time to time, oxidation can cause discolouration in meats under our store lighting. While there are no food safety concerns and the meat is still edible, we always aim to remove such products from sale if this occurs. This was an isolated case. We encourage customers to report any product that doesn’t meet their expectations to our team members for removal," the spokesperson said.