How to Choose Fresh Meat and Seafood

Are you bored with chicken as a source of protein on your daily diet? Don't worry, there are various types of meat and seafood (seafood) or seafood that you can try. The nutritional content is also very beneficial for your body. Check out how to choose the following meat and seafood to enjoy the freshness of this animal protein source. It's just a way to choose meat and seafood can not be careless. There are some things that you need to pay attention to in order to avoid products that are at risk for your health.

Carefully Look at the Characteristics of Fresh Meat

The meat food group is not only beef and chicken, but also includes various types of other poultry and seafood. Meat has a variety of contents that are beneficial to the body, such as protein, vitamins, and minerals. In order to avoid a variety of health risks, it is advisable to choose meat with the least fat. Fat can be seen as a white line on meat. To recognize fresh meat, it helps you know indicators of overall meat quality, including:

• Smell

Fresh meat of any type of animal is almost odorless. However, when packaging is made, it is likely that a slight odor will emerge from the moisture of the meat. This aroma is different from the aroma issued by the meat is not fresh. Meat that is not fresh is characterized by a strong or pungent odor that is almost like ammonia. The odor is a sign that the meat has decreased in protein quality. Don't choose meat whose packaging is torn, damaged or leaking because the possibility is that the meat has been exposed to bacteria that are harmful to the body.

• Color

You can recognize fresh meat from a bright red color. The brighter the color, it means the meat is fresher. Although it must remain vigilant of meat that is given additional coloring to maintain color. Brownish red flesh does not mean that it is not fresh at all, it's just that meat means it's been exposed to oxygen for at least 30 minutes or has been frozen. Fresh poultry meat is marked with white to yellowish color, depending on the type of animal feed, breeding, age, and fat content. So, remember to always avoid beef or pork that is dark brown or discolored, and avoid pale meat in poultry. Paying attention to the color of the meat is the simplest way to choose good quality meat.

• Density

The freshness of the meat appears from the dense texture. Some types of meat are slower to return to their original form. For example, fatty cuts of beef such as rib-eye parts, or beef that has little connective tissue, such as tenderloin parts. But that does not mean poor quality. Unlike the case if you press a piece of meat and the shape does not return like all, also looks increasingly pale color. This means there has been a decrease in the quality of protein in the meat. This meat density test can also be done when trying to check the freshness of poultry.

Recognizing Freshness of Seafood

Quality must be your main concern when buying seafood. Many seafood products, such as fish and shellfish, are frozen several hours after being caught. But it must be added a few days to arrive at the seller who is in your neighborhood. Here are some characteristics that you can recognize when choosing fresh seafood products:

• Smell

Fresh fish does not smell sharp, at least only a slight odor. Fish that start to rot can be characterized by an odor such as ammonia or excessive fishy odor. Chances are, the fish is a product that is old or not frozen properly. Smell is an easy indication of how to choose fresh seafood. Likewise, other fresh seafood products. You can smell the sea faintly, but do not smell fishy.

• Color

In fresh fish, scales will be firmly attached to the skin and look bright, reflect light, and have a metallic color. Gills from fresh fish should appear red or pink. While shrimp, crabs, fresh lobsters are marked with bright colors on the tail without any fading color. When buying fresh oysters, look for natural cream-colored with clear liquid in them.

• Density

Fresh fish is characterized by meat that is not soft or changes shape when pressed with fingers. Fish meat is also inseparable from the bones. The tail looks stiff with solid flesh. When buying fish that have been chopped, check the freshness by pressing your finger. If the fish returns to its original shape, it means that the quality is good. The condition of the fish is not good if the area of ​​pressure on your finger does not appear to disappear.

• Display

Eyes on fresh fish have bulging, clear or not cloudy, and shiny features. Especially for oysters, mussels, and clams, do not choose those whose shells are damaged or cracked. If you buy alive, try tapping their shells. If the shell does not close when tapped, don't select it. Crabs and lobsters that are still alive do leg movements. See if there are movements in the product you are going to buy. Usually crabs and lobsters will quickly decrease in quality after they die. We recommend choosing crabs and lobsters that are still alive for consumption.

In addition, there are still some important things that you need to consider when choosing seafood and preparing it:

• Buy seafood from a trusted market.
• Choose seafood products that are placed in the cooler or frozen well.
• After buying, put it in the refrigerator immediately.
• Use seafood products no more than three days after buying.
• Avoid raw products to come into contact with cooked seafood, including the cooking utensils used.

Meat and seafood are useful sources of protein as an important supplier of body energy. So make sure you choose meat and seafood products with safe and best quality for consumption.