Recently, some customers have reported that after cooking some of the pork belly purchased in the market, numerous small white particles appeared between the fat and lean meat, which has sparked discussions and concerns about the so-called "rice pork". What exactly are these little white particles, and are they safe to eat?
What is "rice pork" and what are the dangers?
When discussing the food safety of pork, the focus is on "rice pork", a term also known as "bean pork" or "pox pork". The potential danger in this type of meat is the presence of the pork tapeworm cysticerci (cysticerci), a white, granular parasite larvae. People who eat undercooked pork containing this parasite may suffer from parasite infestation and develop intestinal diseases and even taeniasis, which poses a serious threat to human health. In view of this, the consumption of rice pork is generally prohibited in society.
The method of identifying rice pork involves looking at the color and texture of the meat. Typical rice pork is not bright enough in color, whether it is lean, fatty or organ meat, white sacs similar to rice grains may be found on it. A practical test method is to cut the meat every 1 centimeter and observe it, and if there are blister-like sacs the size of pomegranate seeds on the muscles, the meat can be determined to be rice pork.
However, not all pork with bean-like pellets is a health hazard to rice pork. The bean-shaped particles commonly seen on pork are likely to be fat particles, which are small white bumps that appear on the surface of fatty meat, about the size of a needle, and their formation may be related to the excessive intake of feed and accelerated growth during the feeding process of pigs, and these fat particles are safe to eat and do not pose a health threat.
In addition, if the pork has a clumpy texture, it may be lymphatic meat, which is characterized by a hard, grainy feel to the touch. Given that lymphatic meat may contain pathogenic microorganisms, it is also a risk of consumption if it is not fully cooked during cooking.
Possible causes of the so-called "red worms" in pork are:
Improved breeding techniques and feeding management measures have led to a significant increase in the growth rate of modern pigs. To meet the nutrient needs of the growing fat layer, the capillaries growing in the fat become thicker. This change causes these blood vessels to appear red when viewed with the naked eye, which can be easily confused with the body of the worm.
At present, the state stipulates the use of electric shock for slaughter, and this change means that the traditional method of slaughter has been updated. After the pig loses consciousness due to an electric shock, a bloodletting operation is performed. Based on physiological understanding, the pig's heart rate decreases after the shock, and the peripheral blood vessels constrict, resulting in some blood remaining in the peripheral blood vessels. As a result, pork slaughtered with electric shocks tends to have a red color on the surface, especially in the thick fat layer, where blood vessels are more visible due to residual blood, which is why some pork appears to have worms.
Experts explain: hookworms cannot grow in muscles
Experts point out that hookworms are mainly parasitic on the intestines of humans and animals, not muscles, so it is wrong to think that "pork contains hookworms". In fact, the so-called hookworm picture in pork often mistakenly confuses structures such as nerve fibers, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, tendons or muscle fibers of pigs with parasites.
In fact, pork can be found to be infested with trichinella and cysticerci (i.e., tapeworm larvae). Trichinella is not visible to the naked eye and can only be detected by a microscope. Cysticerci range in size from rice grains to soybeans, white to pale yellow in color, and resemble blisters in shape. These parasites, if ingested, can invade the muscles and blood system, posing a health threat. High-heat cooking is an effective way to kill these parasites.