Meat is a rich source of Proteins. Apart from this, it also contains an abundant amount of Vitamin B-complex (Vitamin B1 to B12), Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Phosphorous and Omega 3 fatty acids.. which are required to maintain the nutrition balance in our body.
However, It is important, to pick the right kind of meat in order to avail all its nutritional benefits. Here are some tips to help you while buying the right meat & seafood.
Colour
The first thing you should check when you buy meat is its colour. The colour of the meat says a lot about its freshness. Poultry meat must be white or light pink. Check that the meat does not have a green tinge, especially under the wings. There should not be any bruises or blood clots on the surface. Fresh mutton, on the other hand, looks reddish, exactly deep red. It must be bright red in appearance. If the meat is vacuum packed, it may appear slightly brown. This is also good quality meat and will last longer in the refrigerator. Check for spots or dark marks on the meat. If they are present, the meat is not likely to be fresh. Fresh fish will have a metallic colour. Fresh prawn will look translucent. It should not have any coloured spots on it. The spots could be toxins or contaminants. So, it’s best not to consume such fish and prawns. Avoid meat that looks brownish as it may be stale.
Smell or Odur
The smell is the next best indicator to check the freshness of meat. Poultry meat is generally odour-free but may have a slightly meaty odour on rare occasions. Fresh chicken doesn’t have any smell. If you notice any kind of smell in chicken, rinse it in water. If the odour still remains, then the chicken is probably not fresh. The same goes for mutton. Fresh mutton doesn’t have any smell. The smell of red meat is very specific to the type of meat and there should not be any variance from the typical smell of a goat or lamb. One should make sure there is no foul or pungent odour to any kind of fresh meat being purchased. Even fresh prawn doesn’t have smell. Do the water check if you get slightly fishy smell.
Firmness and Texture
The next thing that you need to check is the firmness and texture. When you lightly press a fresh piece of chicken or mutton, you can feel that it’s slightly firm and springy. You should be able to see the muscle fibres. Also, when you touch the meat, it should feel dry and not wet. If the meat feels too soft to touch and doesn’t spring back, then it’s probably old meat. Fresh fish meat is also tender, firm, and slightly springy. If it looks gooey or flaccid, then the meat is not fresh. Fresh prawn meat is slightly firm. However, if it feels too hard or too soft, then it could be old.
These are some of the basic things that will help you in check if the meat you’re buying is fresh. However, you need not to worry about all these things when you buy meat online at ‘NonVegLovers’. We get fresh meat right from the genuine source, clean it using hygienic processes, and use safe packaging methods to pack the meat. You can be assured of 100% fresh meat when you buy from us. Order fresh meat online at https://nonveglovers.in right away.
Prefer Skinless
Prefer skinless while buying the meat. Because the skin of the meat has saturated fatty acids, which are high on calories and can potentially increase the risk of cardiac ailments. Hence, it is always recommended that meat is consumed after removing the skin.
Ensure Food Safety Standards
It is absolutely essential that every packaged meat product has a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) certified label on it to ensure that all food safety standards are met. This is also the primary reason why you should avoid buying meat from a butcher shop, since there is no guarantee of food safety.
Traceability Factor
The traceability of meat and understanding how it was sourced and bred is important to determine the quality of meat. The history and ancestry of the animal are also significant indicators of quality. It is always advisable to check farm to fork details on the package while buying meat, whenever the information is available.
Remember, meat is a great source of nutrition, if consumed in the right manner. Also remember that buying the right of meat is important.
