For convenience, ordering takeaway seems to have become the norm in our lives. Your favorite daily order is spicy hot, you can eat a variety of vegetables, you can also eat a variety of "meat", such as beef balls, fish balls, crab fillet, chicken tenders and so on.
Compared with fresh meat, these "quick-frozen meat" types are inexpensive, but they taste meaty.
However, in addition to being delicious and filling, many people also consider health issues:
Is there really meat in these "quick-frozen meats"? Is there a problem with eating for a long time? Let's take a look at the true face of these quick-frozen meats.
01
Is there real meat in meatballs?
Although most of these cheap meatballs will taste noticeably starchy, they do contain a certain percentage of minced meat.
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When you buy frozen meatballs, you can look at the ingredient list, which basically contains a certain amount of pork, chicken, duck or fish, as well as starch and various additives.
The higher the order of meat, the higher the content of meat, and the price is different depending on the meat content.
Strictly speaking, merchants do not make meatballs, but meatballs with meat flavor.
In the production process, fresh or frozen meat or fish are generally whipped into minced meat, according to the "SB/T 10379-2012 quick-frozen prepared food", the main meat content of such products:
Pork and chicken should be greater than or equal to 10%, and other meats should be greater than or equal to 8%.
Some merchants increase fat by adding chicken skin, pork fat, etc.; The addition of starch makes the meatballs elastic;
Add salt to improve the stickiness of minced meat; There are also various additives to keep the meatballs fresh, the taste Q elastic, the color and aroma delicious.
All in all, it reduces the cost of meatballs while maintaining the flavor.
Source丨A shopping website
Although the ingredient list of quick-frozen meatballs is more complicated, as long as the ingredients and dosage meet the national standards, they can be eaten with confidence.
02
Is there crab meat in crab willow crab sticks?
Meatballs are barely meaty, crab willow crab sticks are really "hanging sheep's heads to sell dog meat", and they do not contain real crab meat.
Most of the raw materials of crab fillet are some kind of frozen surimi or soy protein, and then through various processes, it is made into stick-shaped surimi products.
Frozen surimi can achieve the silky taste of crab meat as long as it is quickly thawed and frozen again, and also provides "seafood flavor";
The orange-red color on the outside, which resembles crab legs, is the result of food coloring.
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Starch and flavor are added during the production process to make the crab stick elastic and flavorful.
Similarly, fish balls, lobster balls, and fish tofu on the market are essentially surimi or soybean products.
Although it is not very advanced, it is also a convenient ingredient rich in protein, so it is no problem to eat it normally.
03
How to choose quick-frozen pills?
Quick-frozen meat products have a long shelf life, and some friends may worry that these foods use additives and preservatives, in fact, this is because of the use of low-temperature quick-freezing technology.
Low-temperature quick-freezing is the preparation of food through the freezing of minus 30°C, and then stored in an environment of minus 18°C, and then achieve long-term shelf life.
Finally, through the cold chain transportation to the market, the technology allows the maximum preservation of the taste of the food.
Although the safety of quick-frozen food in the production process is guaranteed, temperature changes during transportation and sale can cause quick-frozen meat to thaw and then freeze.
This repeats itself, causing microorganisms to multiply, and the quality of food will deteriorate.
In stores, we often see frozen balls in bulk and frosted in freezers.
If the customer repeatedly opens the refrigerator door and leaves it for a long time, these balls will thaw and then freeze, and over time they will become stale or even spoiled.
Therefore, consumers should pay attention to the following points when purchasing:
1. Try to choose food from well-known brands. Relatively speaking, the production testing mechanism of large manufacturers is more stringent and the quality is guaranteed.
2. Choose products with complete packaging, shelf life and clear formulation.
Pay attention to the content of various ingredients of quick-frozen food, meat content is generally linked to price, and you need to pay attention to fat and sodium content.
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Health-conscious friends can choose categories that are low in calories and less salt.
3. Pay attention to the appearance of food and the degree of freezing. Quick-frozen meat needs to be stored at minus 18°C, but some retail stores do not meet this condition, making their quality unguaranteed.
Therefore, it is best to choose to buy in stores and supermarkets with low-temperature freezers, and also observe the condition of the food when purchasing.
All in all, although quick-frozen meat is tastier, its nutritional value is lower than that of fresh food, plus it is high in fat and salt, and it is not healthy friendly.
Friends who like to eat can try homemade handmade meatballs, or buy pure meatballs at a higher price to eat.
Source: Popular Science China