Identifying high-quality meat is critical to ensuring food safety and nutrition.

Here are some basic guidelines to help you choose fresh, high-quality meat products.

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1. Look at the labels

When buying meat, choose products that are clearly labeled, such as “organic”, “hormone-free” or “grass-fed”. These labels usually mean that the animal has not been grown with antibiotics or other harmful substances.

2. Visual inspection

Fresh meat should be shiny and uniform in color, and should not have an off-flavored or overly wet feeling. If you find bruising or traces of liquid on the surface of the meat, it may indicate that it is no longer fresh and it is best to avoid buying it.

3. Color identification

• Pork: Fresh pork is usually pale pink or pink in color, and the fat parts should be white and shiny. If the pork is dark or dark red in color, it may mean that the meat is not fresh.
• Beef: Fresh beef is bright red in color, and the fat parts are milky white or yellowish. As the time of storage is extended, the color of the beef will gradually darken and lose its original luster.
• Chicken: Fresh chicken has smooth and elastic skin and a whitish or yellowish color. If the chicken has loose skin and is dull in color, it may have gone bad.

4. Odor identification

Fresh meat should be odorless, whether pork, beef, or chicken, it should maintain its inherent meaty aroma. If you smell sour, foul or other abnormal smell of meat, it means that the meat has deteriorated and should not be eaten.

5. Texture identification

Press the surface of fresh meat with your fingers, fresh meat should have good elasticity, and it can quickly return to its original shape after pressing. If the depression does not recover after pressing, it means that the meat is aged or deteriorated.

6. Identification of fat distribution

Observe the fat distribution of meat, fresh meat fat should be evenly distributed, with no obvious particles or lumps. The color and texture of the fat are also important criteria for judging the quality of the meat.

7. Freshness identification

When buying meat, pay attention to the production date and expiration date on the package, and try to choose products with a more recent production date. The freshness of meat is comprehensively judged by sensory indicators such as color, smell, and texture.

Conclusion

To sum up, the identification methods of fresh meat quality mainly include color identification, odor identification, texture identification, fat distribution identification and freshness identification.

When buying meat, we can use a combination of these methods to judge the quality of the meat and ensure that we are choosing safe and delicious fresh meat ingredients.