Guide to Buying Hygienic Meat.

A major source of protein in our diet comes from meat products, along with other Iron, Phosphorus, Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B-complex. Consumption of  low quality meat will not only abstain you from these vital elements but also can put your health at risk. Thus it is important to buy the meat keeping in mind the factor of good hygiene.

What do you look for while buying meat? Is it the bright colour or the texture? Do you buy meat from a store or is the butcher at the end of the street your preference for meat products?

There are a few things to be kept in mind while buying meat. And one of these is hygiene. It not only determines the quality of the meat but also how the meat was handled. Below are some tips to assure you buy fresh and hygienic meat at every trip to the grocery store.

It is important to choose the right place to buy the meat, but also there are some things that you have to be careful about from your end.

• Make cleanliness your utmost priority:
• Use a hand sanitizer before checking the meat
• Bring a clean bag to keep the meat in. Make sure you wash it regularly.
• Go early to the market: this way you can ensure you're buying the meat that's not been sitting there all day.
• Try not to buy ahead of time: or only for the week. Meat parishes very quickly and not only the amount of nutrients is mitigated, but there is also the risk for further contamination.
• If at all, you've bought it ahead, make sure you store it at a clean and at optimum temperature.

Choosing the right meat.

Yeah, we know it's important to choose the right kind of product. But what are the key factors you've to keep in mind? It's not rocket science, but it's as important, if not less. Let's know a thing or two essential guidelines of shopping meat products:

• Look around. Start with the source: Whether it's the butcher your family has been buying meat from for generations or the nearby store, ask yourself one question, ''Are you shopping for meat from a hygienic shop?" Buying from the place that sells good has a good chance the meat is fresh and properly handled. Also make sure the place is cleaned at regular intervals and that the storage facility like the refrigerator is cleaned and is working properly and at optimal temperatures.
• If you buy packaged meat, be sure you check the meat meets the basic safety standards, like the FSSAI marks, use-by date.
• Check the packaging: Look for damage or dirt. This has less to do with the quality than the handling of it.
• Don't compromise with the quality in order to save a few bucks. This can cost you more in terms of health.
• Use your senses: basic but does the work.

1. The color of the meat depends on the diet of the animal, thus it can vary. Fresh mutton meat should be dark in color, but it can vary between purple, red and brown, when it's been exposed to air and thus is not preferred. Similarly, fresh pork is light pink in color. Poultry is bluish white to yellow.
2. So many of us find it difficult to establish whether it is just the "raw meat funk'' or simply rotten. A fresh meat product generally has a mild odour. Stay away from pungent smells.
3. An easy way to spot the quality of meat by the way it's slaughtered. Clean, smooth cuts in a uniform size are an indication of good, fresh quality meat. Keep away from serrated cuts, especially in case of poultry.
4. If you look closely, the texture of the meat. Coarse grain of the meat has more muscle fibers and is tough when cooked. So choose as per your preference.

There are also various online stores available for buying fresh meat that's handled in a hygienic manner. One such store you can check out is the Debon store where you get quality products at an amazing price. Make sure you buy fresh meat to avoid diseases like food poisoning and get the maximum benefits of it. Eat healthy, stay safe!