The #1 Culprit: “Inspector’s Ink” (Yes, That’s a Thing)
The most common reason for a purple mark is simple: a stamp.
During processing, meat and packaging can be marked for tracking, inspection, or batch identification using food-safe dye.
Sometimes that ink transfers or “bleeds” onto the chicken—especially because raw meat is moist and porous.
What It Usually Looks Like
- A purple/blue blotch that looks like dye soaking into paper
- A partial circle, smudge, or faint lettering shape
- No weird smell, no slime, no texture change
Is it safe? If it’s truly food-grade stamp dye and the chicken otherwise seems fresh, it’s generally considered safe to cook and eat. It won’t “infect” the meat, and it typically won’t change taste.
But if the mark isn’t stamp-like, there’s another common explanation.
Read more on the next page ⬇️⬇️⬇️
