The smell of meat is mainly due to the action of microorganisms. In fresh meat at room temperature, there are all favorable conditions for the growth of microorganisms: suitable temperature, water, nutrients, inorganic salts, suitable pH. In this environment, microorganisms can multiply rapidly. Meat gets stinky easily.
To turn fresh meat into lean strips, remove the moisture from the meat. Without water, it is difficult for microorganisms to survive. So one of the most common ways to preserve food is to dry it. For example, turning fish into dried fish, turning sweet potatoes into dried sweet potatoes, etc.
In addition to drying, there are two common ways to preserve food: salting and candiing. Microorganisms struggle to grow in environments with high salt or sugar. Preserving food with salt and marinating food with sugar can prolong the shelf life of food. Therefore, dried fish is salty and preserved fruit is sweet, all of which are based on this principle.
Salt foods are high-salt foods, and preserved fruits are high-sugar foods, so you should not eat more of them. But friends who have bought lean meat strips know that lean meat strips are not high-salt foods. Lean strips are not very salty. Why is this?
To make lean meat strips, another substance, sodium nitrite, is often added. Sodium nitrite is added for three main purposes. One is the hair color effect, which makes the lean meat strips redder and better-looking. The second is bacteriostatic effect. Sodium nitrite inhibits the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Clostridium botulinum produces botulinum toxin, which is more toxic than potassium cyanide. Eating meat that contains botulinum toxin will kill you. The third is anti-oxidation, which can prevent meat products from spoiling and deteriorating, so that meat products maintain their unique flavor.
But sodium nitrite is a preservative and a strong carcinogen. Ingestion of 0.3g will cause poisoning, and ingestion of 3g will cause death. Even so, the state still allows the addition of sodium nitrite to meat, as long as it is within the prescribed amount. This is because a better alternative has not been found yet.
Lean strips are delicious, but don’t eat too much. For your health, eat fresh meat instead of processed meat.
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