Buzz
In this day and age, deception is rampant. Therefore, for the sake of your own health and that of your family, allocate 5 minutes to read this article to avoid being deceived when going to the market.
1. How to Recognize Genuine and Fake Beef
- Identifying meat with the naked eye:
Authentic beef exhibits a deep pink or reddish hue, with small tender meat fibers and yellowish fat. Conversely, pork disguised as beef tends to have larger, shorter meat fibers, lacking smoothness, with a milky white fat.
Identifying by touch:
When purchasing beef, gently pressing on the meat reveals its authenticity; genuine beef feels firmer, less elastic, and slightly sticky to the touch. In contrast, pork masquerading as beef feels soft and greasy to the touch.
Additionally, in the process of counterfeiting beef, additives are often incorporated to mimic the appearance of authentic beef. Therefore, one can rub the meat with their fingers, and if a reddish color transfers onto the hand, it is undoubtedly fake.
Scent discernment method:
Authentic beef emits a distinct, robust aroma, while counterfeit beef, despite sophisticated technology, struggles to replicate the genuine scent.
2. Identifying Water-injected Pork
Water-injected pork typically appears paler, feels soft to the touch, with loose muscle fibers, lacking the firmness of high-quality pork. Upon prolonged storage, it may exude fluid, releasing more liquid during cooking than usual.
When purchasing meat at the market, it's advisable to press your finger onto the pork. If you notice a slight indentation forming but no lingering mark once you lift your finger, that indicates fresh meat. Additionally, ensure the meat cuts are uniform, with the outer fat layer dry and not sticky, and the meat itself firm and consistent.
Furthermore, if the meat has been treated with urea or other chemicals, you'll feel it's unnaturally rigid compared to fresh meat, lacking the softness and elasticity of quality cuts.
As for bones, fresh ones will have marrow tightly adhered and exhibit a translucent appearance with elasticity. In contrast, aged bones, left for more than 8 hours, will have dislodged marrow, appear dark, and emit a foul odor upon sniffing.
3. How to Identify Chemically Enhanced Chicken Meat with Shiny Yellow Skin
When buying chicken, if the skin appears shiny yellow and uniformly colored while the fat remains white, it indicates the chicken has been dyed yellow.
When immersing real chicken meat in iron powder, it turns slightly dark but can be washed clean with water. Conversely, fake chicken, initially light yellow, quickly transforms into a striking shiny yellow.
Ms. Thân Thị Gái, a poultry seller at Nguyễn Văn Hai market, Tân Bình district, Ho Chi Minh City, explains: 'The shiny yellow color on chicken skin is due to chemical dyeing, in reality, chicken skin is only a light yellow.'
Sharing on the show 'Delicious and Healthy' (VTC14), Mr. Trần Quốc Phú, Head Chef of a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City advises: 'Good chicken has a compact, firm body. Our chicken skin should be a light yellow, with certain areas like the breast and back being darker yellow. The skin should not be bruised, dark, or pale. When touched, fresh chicken should have firm skin. Similarly, injected chicken will have slippery skin, lacking connection with the meat.
