What action should be taken with food that has an unusual odor or appearance?

When food exhibits an unusual odor or appearance, this is often a strong indicator that it may be spoiled or unsafe for consumption. Discarding it immediately is the best course of action to ensure the health and safety of customers. Consuming or serving food that shows signs of spoilage can lead to foodborne illnesses, which can have serious consequences.

Keeping the food for further evaluation or cooking it thoroughly may seem like feasible options; however, odor and appearance are often reliable signs of spoilage that indicate the food is no longer safe, regardless of subsequent cooking. Using the food immediately without evaluation could pose significant health risks as well. Therefore, promptly discarding food that raises such concerns is the safest and most responsible action to maintain food safety standards.