The bones in my cooked chicken are dark gray or black — is that dangerous?

occurrence in the bone structure.

In young chickens, the bones have not fully ossified, meaning they are still in a transitional phase between cartilage and bone. This porosity allows blood to seep into the bone, and when cooked, the iron in the blood oxidizes, causing the color change. This is purely a cosmetic issue and does not affect the safety or taste of the meat.

2. The Science of Bone Marrow Pigment Reactions Explained Simply

Bone marrow contains hemoglobin and myoglobin,