Make That Meat Safe Before Consumption

No doubt, meat is a source of protein and other nutrients essential for healthy living. Many people find the taste of meat irresistible, hence they find it difficult to give up meat or reduce its intake. However, for those who cannot do without meat, safety can be ensured in the following ways:

Honey: Dr. Nicki Engeseth, professor of food chemistry  University of Illinois USA found that adding honey to meat before cooking helps block the free radicals as well as improving the smell and taste of the meat. Honey’s antioxidants make cooked meat safer. Honey also enhances the flavour and cooked yield in poultry meat by adding to overall weight.
This is one important angle of honey that eateries and food service operators should explore to make sweet profit by making health-friendly meat products.

Pepper: Researches at West Virginia University and the Loma Linda School of Medicine in California indicated that pepper fights cancer effectively. Adding pepper to meat as it is popular with suya (smoked meat) and broiled meat prevents the liver from turning the polyaromatic hydrocarbons into carcinogens.

Ginger: Ginger has protein-digesting enzymes, which makes it a healthy spice for cooking meat and fish. Therefore, cooking meat with ginger will make it harmless on the liver and kidneys.  Ginger is also a rich source of antioxidants that make cooked meat safer. As a matter of fact, ginger makes pepper works better. These two spices must be inseparable part of ingredients to cook meat in order to make it safer and health-friendly.

Onion: A study by Dr. N.N. Gupta at K.G Medical College in Lucknow, India found that adding onion to a high fat diet like meat lowers blood cholesterol, thins blood, prevents platelet clumping and inhibits blood clotting. Apart from traditional cooking of meat with onion, spicing cooked meat with fresh onion as in suya (smoked meat) is an effective antidote to ill effects associated with meat and other fatty foods

Thyme: Meat can be made safer with thyme, an aromatic herb, which contains essential oils and antioxidants. Thyme is a good digestive aid particularly for fatty foods.

Culled from Punch