Absolutely do not buy pork with these characteristics
Absolutely do not buy pork with these characteristics
To avoid buying spoiled, toxic, or disease-contaminated pork, you should absolutely avoid purchasing pork with these characteristics.
Among the protein-rich foods, pork is one of the most commonly found items on the dining tables of Asian families. It is prepared in a variety of ways with hundreds of dishes, including boiled, fried, stir-fried, roasted, and stewed options. To create a delicious dish, the first standard is to buy fresh and clean pork. Home cooks need to know how to distinguish between good-quality and unsafe pork.
Absolutely do not buy pork with these characteristics
If the pork you are looking at has any of these 8 characteristics, even if it's cheap, don't buy it, as it could bring harm to yourself and your family.
Strange smell You don’t need to press your nose to it; just hold the piece of meat up in the direction of the wind and you'll immediately sense the unusual smell. Normal pork has a slight blood smell, but spoiled pork has a pungent and rotten odor. This meat has likely been kept for too long or poorly stored.
Dull color, blood stains on the surface If the pork has an unusual color, such as dark gray, deep red, or blackish-red areas, it’s usually not fresh and may be dirty. Pork with blood stains, pink fat, and dark blood vessels often indicates the animal was sick or dead.
Lack of elasticity Fresh pork usually has good elasticity. When you press it with your finger and release, the indentation should quickly return to normal. If the pork lacks elasticity, it could be frozen meat that was thawed, or spoiled meat.
Excessive wateriness If the pork looks watery or drenched, it’s likely been injected with water or soaked to increase its weight. If you see water dripping from the meat and the seller frequently wipes it with a cloth, avoid it—it's probably been water-injected.
Slimy texture Fresh pork feels slightly sticky when touched, but spoiled pork will feel slimy. It won’t have a distinct smell but will be slightly foul, indicating bacterial contamination. Such pork will emit a bad odor when cooked and could affect your health if eaten.
Lymph nodes present Lymph nodes often carry bacteria and pathogens and are difficult to kill even with thorough cooking. The neck area of the pig contains the most lymph nodes. Avoid buying pork with visible lymph nodes.
Red pores Typically, pig skin pores are black or white depending on the breed and skin color. If the pores are red, it’s likely that the pork comes from a pig that died. Dead pork will have a dark red color, blackish-red blood, and a distinct rotten odor. Do not buy pork with these characteristics.
Very thin layer of fat The thickness of fat on pork is linked to the breed of the pig and its body part. Regular pigs usually have thicker fat, while mixed-breed pigs have thinner fat. If the pork has a very thin layer of fat (less than 1 cm), often the meat looks unnaturally fresh, and the muscle fibers are loose. Avoid buying pork with this feature.
Tips for choosing safe pork
Experts recommend observing carefully when buying pork. Pigs that are not treated with growth-promoting substances usually have higher fat content, with more fat interspersed among the lean meat compared to pigs treated with such substances.
Don't let the appearance of the meat decide your purchase. Don’t be fooled by bright red colors or thick lean meat layers; always buy from reputable sources with clear origins and trustworthy brands.
