Experts emphasize that many microorganisms contaminating meat are pathogenic and warn that improperly cooked or stored meat and meat products can cause food poisoning. Food Engineer Selen Akbulut states that meat should be rested in the refrigerator after slaughter and points out that meat should be stored at -18 degrees in the freezer and thawed at +4 degrees.
Üsküdar Üniversitesi SHMYO Food Technologies Program Lecturer Selen Akbulut made statements regarding the cooking and storage of meat during Eid al-Adha.
Meat is highly susceptible to spoilage
Food Engineer Selen Akbulut stated that storing meat slaughtered during Eid al-Adha is one of the most important issues for food safety, saying, “Meat has a composition of 65-80 percent water, 16-22 percent protein, and 1.5-13 percent lipids. Due to its high water and nutrient content, meat is a raw material highly susceptible to spoilage by microorganisms.”
Improperly cooked or stored meat can cause food poisoning
Akbulut pointed out that the contamination of meat varies depending on the slaughter conditions, stating, “Many microorganisms contaminating meat are pathogenic. When a proper cooking method is not performed or when not kept under appropriate storage conditions, meat and meat products have the potential to cause food poisoning. In the kitchen, when preparing meat and meat products, cross-contamination, which means processing and preparing raw meat and foods to be consumed without cooking, such as salad ingredients, on the same cutting board, can also lead to serious poisoning. Therefore, there are main important points that all consumers should pay attention to when preparing, cooking, and storing meat and meat products.”
Beef should be rested for at least 15-36 hours, and lamb/goat meat for at least 12-24 hours
“After the slaughter of sacrificial meat is carried out properly, one of the main issues is to reduce its temperature as quickly as possible,” said Akbulut, adding, “After slaughter, the meat will still be in the rigor mortis (death stiffness) phase, which is when the muscles remain contracted. To complete this process, beef should be rested in the refrigerator at refrigeration temperature for at least 15-36 hours, and lamb/goat meat for at least 12-24 hours. This process has positive effects such as meat maturation, softening of muscle stiffness, and development of taste and textural properties. It should be remembered that meat and meat products consumed immediately after slaughter are not only perceived as unappetizing sensually but can also cause problems such as indigestion.”
Meat should be stored at -18 degrees, thawed at +4 degrees
Food Engineer Selen Akbulut stated that after the meat has been rested, it is recommended to portion it properly and place it in the freezer, adding, “Meat stored at -18 degrees should be consumed within 6 months to 1 year. A frozen meat product should also be thawed properly just before consumption.”
Emphasizing that the thawing process should be carried out without breaking the cold chain, Akbulut concluded her words as follows:
“Meat and meat products to be thawed should be subjected to thawing at +4 degrees in refrigerator temperature. It should not be forgotten that practices such as pouring hot water over the product or thawing it by leaving it at room temperature for a long time will increase microbial growth in meat products. The necessity of not refreezing a thawed product is also one of the most sensitive issues to be considered in terms of food safety. When cooking meat and meat products, it should be ensured that the internal temperature reaches at least 72 degrees (pasteurization norm), regardless of the cooking method applied.”