Pork is the most common type of meat, but do you know some of the precautions to take with pork? Let's take a look at the four types of pork you should not eat.
1. Overcooked pork
Many people believe that the longer pork is stewed, the better it is, which is why various types of pressure cookers and electric pressure cookers have become popular. In daily life, many people use pressure cookers to stew pork ribs, and in just over ten minutes, not only the meat but even the bones become soft. However, experts warn that meat cooked this way is very unhealthy for the human body. At high temperatures of 200°C to 300°C in a pressure cooker, amino acids, creatinine, sugars, and other harmless compounds in the meat undergo chemical reactions, forming aromatic amines.
These food-derived aromatic amines contain 12 compounds, and at least 9 of them are carcinogenic. Therefore, experts advise that until the issue of aromatic amine compounds is fully understood, you should never eat overcooked meat.
2. Soaking pork in hot water
To better clean pork after buying it, many people often use the same methods they use for vegetables, such as soaking fresh pork in hot water. This is very unscientific because it causes the pork to lose many of its nutritional components. The muscle and fat tissues of pork contain large amounts of nutrients, such as proteins, which can be divided into myosin and myogen. The coagulation point of myosin is 15°C to 16°C. If washed with hot water for a long time, these nutrients are likely to dissolve into the water.
In addition, components in myosin, such as organic acids, glutamic acid, and monosodium glutamate, will also be lost, which greatly affects the original flavor of the pork. Therefore, it is important to note that pork should not be soaked in hot water; instead, it should be quickly rinsed with cold water.
3. Pork from diseased or dead pigs
Many vendors, in order to make more money, often unscrupulously purchase pork from diseased or dead pigs and sell it in various supermarkets and markets. Experts warn that the gastrointestinal tracts of pigs contain numerous bacteria, the most common being Salmonella, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Proteus. When a pig's resistance is low due to illness, these bacteria can enter the bloodstream through the lymphatic system, multiply extensively in the pig's internal organs and muscle tissues, and produce large amounts of toxic substances.
Furthermore, after the pig dies, the meat undergoes changes in its quality, with proteins being destroyed and coagulated, making it very difficult to cook thoroughly. If you eat pork from a pig that died of Salmonella infection, you may contract acute gastroenteritis, which can be life-threatening if not treated promptly. Therefore, there is some truth to the news that eating pork is like suicide.
4. "Bean" pork
"Bean" pork should also not be eaten. "Bean" pork is pork from a pig that died from an infestation of pork tapeworms (Cysticercus cellulosae). If a person eats undercooked "bean" pork, the tapeworm larvae will develop into an adult tapeworm in the human small intestine. The eggs hatch into larvae in the pig's intestines, then penetrate the intestinal wall into the bloodstream, travel to various parts of the body, and develop into cysticerci in the muscles or brain. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to avoid consuming "bean" pork.
Summary: The four types of pork mentioned above should never be eaten. The first two points refer to cooking methods; overcooking is not recommended as it not only destroys nutrients but also produces harmful substances to the human body. The last two points are a reminder to pay close attention when selecting pork to ensure you do not buy meat from diseased pigs, as such meat is extremely detrimental to your health.