Why is it advised to freeze meat before eating as opposed to eating it fresh?
I am not sure, is it right to wrong "It is not good to eat meat just after killing, it should be stored and deep freezed for at least 24 hours". But I had heard same like this through national media. What could be the logic behind this ?
Best Answer
What kind of meat is it, maybe pork?
There are many kinds of pathogens in meat. One type are bacteria. They don't die from cold temperatures (not even freezing), but die from high heat. Unfortunately, heating the meat throughout so it's hot enough to kill all bacteria will turn it into a shoesole. So, meat is cooked to slightly lower temperatures which are capable of killing most, but not all bacteria. And the surface of the meat comes into contact with the pan, so it gets much hotter than the inside. Because the surface is where the bacteria are (they came onto the meat after it was butchered), they die in the hot pan.
But there are other pathogens beside bacteria. One class are parasites. They also die from high heat. But they don't sit on the surface of the meat, they were living inside the tissue of the animal before it was slaughtered. So, if you bring a contaminated steak to 55 Celsius internal temperature, but accidentally stick your thermometer in a too thin part of the meat - or don't use a thermometer and hope that you can judge meat doneness by feel - it can happen that a parasite snuggled in the thickest part survives. And some domestic animal parasites can also use the human as a host, causing all kinds of ugly health problems. A prime examples would be trichinosis, a disease caused by a pig parasite.
Parasites are rather rare in industrial food production, because there are ways to heal them in the living animal. You almost never get into contact with them, while each piece of meat you buy is teeming with disease-causing bacteria. So parasites are not in the spotlight of food safety, the typical rules are created to protect against bacteria. Given the lack of trichinosis epidemics lately, it seems to work.
But if there is a high chance that you get contaminated meat, you can consider freezing the meat. Unlike bacteria, parasites die when frozen solid, and stop being a danger to you.
I haven't heard of such a wave of advice in the media, it could be that there was a single high-profile case of parasite illness in your country, or that there has been a slowly growing epidemic. Or also that there always has been some danger due to the way animals are typically held (your description of eating right away reminds me of a family slaughtering pigs they raised themselves, in which case there is no vet inspecting the meat), but that consumer rights groups have started a media campaign to bring the situation into public attention.
Beside pork, there is high parasite risk in wild hunted game, as well as many kinds of sea food. Sheep can also carry some, but they are more likely to be in the organ meat, not the muscle (e.g. liver flukes). AFAIK, beef and chicken are not typical hosts to dangerous parasites. Update: As Mischa Arefiev points out, there is a type of tapeworm which lives in beef. Freezing is effective against it too.
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Quick Answer about "Why is it advised to freeze meat before eating as opposed to eating it fresh?"
But if there is a high chance that you get contaminated meat, you can consider freezing the meat. Unlike bacteria, parasites die when frozen solid, and stop being a danger to you.Is it better to freeze meat before or after cooking?
\u201cRaw meat and poultry maintain their quality longer (when frozen) than their cooked counterparts because moisture is lost during cooking.\u201d \u201cMeat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be refrozen before or after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing.\u201dShould meat be frozen before eating?
The FDA recommends you skip freezing prepared meats that have been stuffed, for instance, and only refrigerate those before cooking. Also, the USDA says mayonnaise, cream sauces, and lettuces don't freeze well. Don't freeze these foods or any meats that have been prepared with them.Why frozen meat is better than fresh?
Initially, fresh meat has a higher nutrient count than frozen. However, fresh meat loses its vitamins and minerals as time passes. So, if you freeze your cuts and thaw them properly, or buy products that have been professionally prepared, you can retain those valuable nutrients as well as the delicious flavour.Why should you freeze your meat?
Other cuts of meat\u2014particularly ground meat, bacon, and sausage\u2014will only stay fresh for up to two months. Freeze meat quickly to prevent ice crystals. Keeping meat at room temperature for too long will risk the meat losing freshness. In addition, storing meat quickly will prevent ice crystals from forming.Is it safe to refreeze thawed foods
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