Storage and Cooking Tips for Meat and Meat Products in Hot Weather

Storage and Cooking Recommendations for Meat and Meat Products in Hot Weather DANET, which applies the highest standards in food safety and quality without compromise, has issued storage and cooking recommendations for meat and meat products to consumers during the hot weather affecting the country.

Meat and Meat Products Are Nutritionally Very Important

Meat and meat products, containing significant amounts of digestible protein and vitamin B12, as well as minerals such as iron, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium and zinc, hold an important place in human nutrition. Animal protein derived from meat and meat products is particularly important for the development of brain cells.

Of the daily protein requirement of 70 grams for a 70 kilogram person, 40-50 grams should come from animal protein, and for this purpose approximately 200 grams of meat and meat products need to be consumed daily. On the other hand, proper storage of meat and meat products—which are so valuable in human nutrition—without spoilage, especially during summer months and hot weather, and cooking without reducing nutritional value is of great importance. Meat and meat products are highly perishable food items that become rancid when spoiled. To prevent the multiplication of microorganisms and the physical, chemical and enzymatic factors that cause meat spoilage, cooling and freezing processes stand out as the most common methods applied in meat and meat products.

Pay Attention to Hot Weather in Picnic Areas

Picnicking in the open air especially during summer months, and grilling at picnics, is part of our culture. However, in hot weather, care must be taken when transporting meat and meat products to picnic areas and when holding them before cooking. Meat and meat products that we store in refrigerators at home can be exposed to spoilage risk if they spend a long time in transit to picnic locations. These foods must be transported in insulated cooler bags or at least with ice packs placed alongside them. Temperature-sensitive products like meat and meat products should be removed from the refrigerator last. On the other hand, if there is no cooling facility at the picnic area, meat and meat products should not be left for long periods before cooking, and the products must not be left in heat and direct sunlight. In such situations, special care must be taken with ground meat and products made from ground meat such as meatballs and kebab, and poultry products which can produce bacteria very rapidly. Additionally, these products must be thoroughly cooked to ensure the inside is not raw.

Transit Home After Shopping Should Not Take Long

Maintaining the cold chain in meat and meat products is of great importance, especially in hot weather. The concept of cold chain should be understood not only as applying between production and the point of sale, but also as covering the time from purchase until the product reaches the refrigerator at home. During summer months, meat purchased from supermarkets or butchers can be left in car trunks for long periods before reaching the refrigerator, and this can cause temperature rises and spoilage in meat and meat products. Ground meat, in particular, is affected much more quickly by such errors.

Conscious Shopping

Meat and meat products must be kept at 0 to +4 degrees Celsius at points of sale. It is of great importance that consumers verify compliance with this at the point of sale and pay attention to product temperature, expiration date and label information during shopping. These types of products should be purchased last, preferably transported in insulated bags or carriers, and brought home and placed in the refrigerator as soon as possible.

Conscious Freezing for Long-Term Storage

Frozen meat products must be stored at -18 degrees Celsius. It is important that the temperature at the center of the meat reaches -18 degrees Celsius. Meat cooled in this way can be preserved for 6 months to 1 year under appropriate conditions. The most important point here is that frozen meat must not be refrozen after thawing. Special attention must be paid to this. DANET recommends portioning the meat according to consumption purpose and freezing it in pieces before freezing to prevent this.

Meat Must Be Cooked Without Losing Nutritional Value

When cooking meat, it is important to use methods and techniques that preserve flavor and nutritional values. Proper cooking of meat is important not only for taste but also to prevent various health problems. Meat that is cooked for consumption becomes easier to chew and ready for digestion, ensures better absorption of vitamins and minerals in its content, and is free from harmful microorganisms that may pose a risk. However, meat cooked with incorrect technique and duration loses its nutritional value. During meat cooking, prolonged contact with heat must be avoided, while at the same time ensuring the meat is not left raw. Frying in oil, sautéing, grilling, oven cooking and boiling are generally used techniques for cooking meat. During summer months and periods of desert heat conditions, boiling, grilling and oven cooking are recommended instead of frying and sautéing as healthier cooking methods.