Carnivorous guide： What pigs really can’t eat is actually these three places.
Recently, "there are many pig incidents", which has also caused some friends to have some fears about pork. Fans have also privately asked Uncle Meat about which pork can and cannot be eaten in the background:
"Is it true that pig kidney has heavy metal residues and cannot be eaten?"
"Don’t eat pig lung with virus."
"The pig’s large intestine is full of poop …"
In this issue, I will focus on the questions about internal organs raised by everyone, and answer them. Let’s get to know each other!
1. Is there much heavy metal in pig liver?
Really, but not necessarily exceeding the standard!
Source: Network
There are indeed heavy metal residues in the liver of animals such as pig liver. Because pig liver is the largest detoxifier and poison transfer station in pigs, toxic and harmful substances, such as heavy metals, enter the body through metabolism, transformation, detoxification and excretion in the liver.
When the liver function declines or toxic and harmful substances are ingested more, these harmful substances will accumulate in the liver. However, the "high" content of heavy metals in pig liver does not mean that it must exceed the standard. Generally speaking, the pork liver purchased regularly is generally safe to eat. Moreover, pig liver also contains healthy nutrients such as iron and vitamins, and it is good to eat some occasionally.
Advantages:
Protein is rich (comparable to lean pork).
Lower fat (lower than lean pork)
Vitamin A is very high (it is the part with the highest vitamin A content in pigs).
Iron content (7.7 times that of lean pork)
Vitamin B2 is very high.
2. Is pig brain high in cholesterol?
Yes, but it’s okay to eat in moderation!
Source: Network
The cholesterol content in pig brain is really high. The cholesterol content in every 100 grams of pig brain is as high as 2571 mg /100 grams, and the cholesterol in an egg yolk is only about 200 mg.
However, you may not need to worry too much about cholesterol in food. It is no problem to eat pig brain normally, for example, once or twice a month.
Advantages:
There are many minerals such as calcium and phosphorus.
3. Is the pig’s large intestine oily and dirty?
Clean, cook thoroughly and eat safely.
Source: Network
But many people still think that the large intestine is dirty, because the large intestine is the place where the residue (feces) is discharged after food digestion. Because of the need to excrete food residues, there may indeed be more microorganisms in the large intestine, and parasites and pathogenic bacteria may also exist, but as long as the food residues are thoroughly cleaned, washed away and cooked thoroughly when eating, they can still be safely eaten. Of course, there is still a lot of fat in the large intestine, so take it easy when eating.
4. Is there much dust in pig lungs?
Think too much!
Source: Network
It is said that pigs love to arch the ground and have a lot of dust, so pig lungs can’t be eaten. If people breathe a lot of dust in the air, it will indeed enter the lungs, and even lead to pneumoconiosis. However, this disease is only found in people at present, and most of them are special occupational groups that need to contact with a lot of dust.
And most pigs don’t live in places with a lot of dust. Although the pig loves to dig up the soil, it won’t suck it all in like this. Therefore, pig lungs don’t have much dust.
Advantages:
Protein medium.
Low in fat
5. List of pork parts
Come and find out.
Source: Lilac Life Research Institute
6. The inedible parts of pork
Actually, it’s these three places
There are three parts of the pig that are inedible, namely adrenal gland, thyroid gland and diseased lymph nodes.
Adrenal gland, which is located in front of the inner edge of the pig’s kidney, is often called "small kidney". Eating the meat of adrenal gland by mistake may cause acute poisoning. The clinical manifestations are dizziness, head swelling, nausea, palpitation, general weakness, stomachache and diarrhea.
Thyroid gland, located behind the larynx and on the ventral side of trachea, is commonly known as "chestnut meat". After eating meat containing thyroid gland by mistake, symptoms such as palpitation, shortness of breath, arrhythmia, headache, tinnitus, irritability, hyperhidrosis, nausea, anorexia, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea may occur.
The pig’s lymph nodes are grayish white or yellowish bumps, which are distributed all over the pig and concentrated in the neck, commonly known as flower seed meat. Pathological lymph nodes contain a large number of bacteria and their toxins, and people who eat by mistake are prone to infectious diseases.
These places contain pig endocrine hormones, pathogenic microorganisms and other harmful substances, which have certain health risks, and are required to be removed in regular slaughter. If pork with meat stalls is found to have "three glands", don’t buy it.
In short, it is safe to eat all kinds of common pig viscera or pork if it is purchased through formal channels (such as large supermarkets) and fully washed and cooked thoroughly.
References:
Yang Yuexin. China Food Composition Table Standard Edition, 6th Edition, Volume 2 [M]. Beijing: Peking University Medical Press, 2019.
Zhang Haihu, Wang Haili, Jia Meng. Gland removal and treatment in meat quarantine [J]. Henan Animal Husbandry and Veterinary (Comprehensive Edition), 2010:61-62.