John Myers
Fresh meat can be recognized quite quickly by a few characteristics. The focus is on smell, color, texture of the surface, and structure. It is best to check these factors directly when buying, but at the latest during preparation. In the case of shrink-wrapped meat, the packaging can also provide information on the degree of freshness.
In the odor test, you should ideally not smell anything at all with unpackaged goods. If the meat does not give off an odor of its own, this is an indication that it is fresh. A mild to slightly sour odor in self-service packaged goods also indicates that the slaughter was not too long ago and that the meat was stored properly. However, if the nose detects a sweet or even musty smell, the meat could be overlaid.
The second indicator is the color of the meat. Depending on the animal, the color used to identify fresh meat varies. However, the product should never have a greyish/green color. Ideally, pork should be a soft pink color and the surface should be shiny. Beef, on the other hand, is characterized by a strong and dark red, while the lamb is a little lighter. The meat of the fresh game is also red, but the tone can also turn brownish. Incidentally, the color also depends on the age of the animal: the meat of older animals tends to be darker than that of younger ones. The color of poultry meat is mostly pink, but it also depends on the feed used. Instead, the nature of the surface is particularly important here. It must not be greasy and have no pressure points.
Finally, fresh meat can be recognized by checking its structure by hand. A pressure test with your fingers is useful here: If the meat gives way under a lot of pressure, it is probably not fresh. Nor should it give a spongy impression.
However, this rule does not apply to matured goods such as beef steaks: Here it is an indication of quality if the meat yields under pressure.
When buying shrink-wrapped meat, smell and pressure tests are not possible. If you don’t want to rely on the date printed on the packaging, pay close attention to the color and surface of the goods. In the packaging itself, it should be largely dry. If a lot of water has formed in it, this can be an indication that the meat has already been frozen. With vacuum packaging, care should also be taken to ensure that no bubbles have formed.
