Selection Criteria: Meat, Egg, Fish

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Meat:

Veal or the meat of calf is pale pink and firm. The meat is soft and flabby and the cut surface is moist. The bone is pinkish white with a small quantity of blood. Fat is not seen.

In the case of lamb, flesh of young animals below 12 months of age, the meat is pinkish red, fine grained and velvetty. The bones are porous and reddish. Good quality mutton is deep red in colour with a smooth covering of fat. The bone is hard and white.

Poor quality meats have darker flesh and the grain is coarse and fibrous. Fat layers are heavy and have a strong flavour.

Poultry :

Young birds (below 9 months of age) have a tender flesh and are more suitable for cooking.

Signs of a young bird :

1.     The feathers especially the quills on the wings should be easy to pull.

2.     No long hair on the body.

3.     Skin should be white or clean and smooth.

4.     Feet should be supple with smooth even over-lapping scales.

Signs which show that a bird is fresh :

1.     Feathers - light and fluffy.

2.     Eyes - prominent and clean

3.     No unpleasant smell

4.     Feet moist and not stiff and dry.

5.     Skin - clear with no dark or greenish tinge.

Egg:

1.     The shell should be clean and should not be broken.

2.     Fresh eggs have a small air cell. This can be detected by holding the egg against light.

3.     Yolk should be in the centre without any dark spots when observed against light.

4.     Good quality egg will sink when immersed in water. Poor quality eggs will float due to the enlarged air cell and loss of moisture.

Fish:

The following points should be borne in mind while selecting fish :

1.     Eyes should be bright and not sunken.

2.     Gills should be red.

3.     The tail should be stiff and scales firmly attached to the skin.

4.     The flesh should be firm and not flabby.

5.     There should be no unpleasant odour.

6.     To test a cut piece, press down with a finger and if an impression is left then the fish is stale.

7.     Any tendency for the raw flesh to come away from the bone is a dangerous sign.