Buying, Transporting and Preparing Meat Safely Meat is a wonderful addition to the diet. Eating it regularly helps you build strong muscles, get energy, and even helps keep your eyes and skin healthy. It also comes with a lot of protein. Protein is the foundational building blocks of tissue growth. When you exercise or workout, protein is required for making those muscles stronger than they were when you worked them out. The iron helps the blood transport oxygen throughout the body, strengthening it to accomplish tasks. Finally, meat fills your body with zinc. This mineral is known to maintain healthy eyes. In healthy amounts, it is the determinant of your quality of night vision. There are many benefits to having a healthy amount of meat in your diet, it can also offer you seriously sickness if you don’t take the proper precautions when preparing or storing it.
Proper Selection of Meat It starts with the initial purchase. You want to make sure that the cuts you’re buying are good. Luckily, the United States has one of the safest meat distribution networks in the world. It all goes under the noses of the U.S. Department of Agriculture before selling. No one is perfect though, 21 million pounds had to be recalled back in 2007 because of an e-coli scare. That problem was found out and fixed, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still know where to get good meat. The simple advice is to get it from a trusted supermarket. Buy from a reputable store. Their reputation is on the line with every cut they sell. You can be pretty confident that they’ve done their research when it comes to purchasing the right meat to sell on their property. Ask them questions if you have them and research the distributors’ names they give you for a more thorough inspection. When you go to pick some up, make sure that you stop there last. You want to keep your fresh meat cool for as long as possible to prevent bacteria growth. Pick it up right before you head to the checkout line to keep it safe. As you choose the best one, look for one that feels cool. If it’s warm, then that could be a sign of bad handling or storing—meaning you don’t want anything to do with it.
Proper Storage of Meat Make sure the packaging is tightly wrapped and without tears or punctures as that could mean contamination. Also look out for excessive liquid in the packaging. This can indicate an exposure to unsafe temperatures or being in storage for too long. Always pick out products by the sell-by date and be sure to separate it from your other foods to prevent contamination. After making your purchase, head home and put it in the refrigerator. Keep your refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below to ensure your meat stays safe. You can also choose to freeze the product to increase its life. When it comes time to cook it, cook it all the way through and wash thoroughly any surface that is contaminated by the uncooked portions. Meat is great for you, but it needs to be cared for properly. Take care to keep you and your family safe by understanding how to buy, transport and prepare it. Vacuum Sealers Unlimited is all about protecting food. They specialize in making FoodSaver bags that help to preserve your food. These FoodSaver bags are great for forcing the air with all of its excessive bacteria out of the packaging. The result is a protected, airtight package that can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer for safe keeping.