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

darker bones due to higher levels of pigmentation in their marrow. Additionally, processing methods like freezing and thawing can cause blood in the bone marrow to migrate and oxidize, resulting in darker bones when cooked.

Packaged raw chicken in a home kitchen before cooking
Packaged raw chicken in a home kitchen before cooking

5. The Role of Blood, Hemoglobin, and Oxygen in Turning Bones Dark

The dark color in bones is largely due to the oxidation of hemoglobin, a component of blood. When chicken is cooked, the heat causes hemoglobin in the bone marrow to oxidize, turning it a