Pork is the most common meat in our daily lives, sparking fresh shopping frenzies during holidays. Driven by profit, the market occasionally sees illegally slaughtered pork or pork that should have undergone quarantine but did not. Consumers must stay vigilant. Below, we detail how to identify diseased or dead pigs.
The identification method boils down to "six visual checks and one smell test." First, examine the appearance: fresh pork has a slightly dry outer membrane, a pale red color, and a glossy sheen. The cut surface is slightly moist but not sticky, with clear juices. Less fresh pork appears dark gray and dull, with a cut surface less vibrant than fresh meat, sticky texture, and cloudy juices.Examine the bleeding incision: diseased pigs exhibit a smooth incision line without blood infiltration zones. Healthy pigs show a rough incision with an everted blade surface and a 0.5 cm deep blood infiltration zone around the incision. Inspect the skin: healthy pork skin is blemish-free, while diseased pork often displays purple hemorrhagic spots, diffuse dark red hemorrhages, or raised red/yellow rashes.
Second, examine the fat: Fresh pork fat appears white or creamy white with a glossy sheen, whereas diseased pork fat exhibits abnormal colors like red, yellow, or green. Inspect the muscle: Healthy lean pork is typically red or pale red with a vibrant luster and minimal fluid exudation, while diseased pork muscle appears darker or dark red.Check elasticity: Good pork is springy, especially fresh cuts with dense texture and good resilience. Pressing with a finger leaves a temporary indentation that quickly rebounds. Spoiled pork, severely decomposed, loses elasticity and shows varying degrees of decay. Pressing leaves a permanent dent, and sometimes a finger can even pierce through.
Examine the lymph nodes: Diseased pork exhibits enlarged lymph nodes with pale pink or red fat and dark red muscle. Quality pork has normally sized lymph nodes, and the cut surface appears fresh gray or pale yellow. Additionally, smell can distinguish between them. Good pork has no unusual odor, while fresh pork retains its natural, fresh scent.Spoiled pork emits a bloody, putrid, or other foul odor, both on the surface and deep within the meat.
Expert advice: When purchasing pork, always check for the blue inspection and quarantine seal and the quarantine certificate. Avoid buying pork of unknown origin.
The above covers how to identify diseased or dead pigs. We hope this information has been helpful. Wishing you good health and happiness.