Does anyone buy vacuum packed pork?For the second time I've broughtsome and when you open the package it has an awful smell with it.The first time I phoned the butcher and he told me it was a chemical reaction, and the meat was fine to eat (still well within it's use by date).Last night same thing, and although it seemed to cook up ok it did spoil my tea as I had to smell every mouth full!Just wondered if anyone else had come across this?
horseychick,
Jan 2, 6:11pm
I have with beef, but it was fine to cook and eat.
davidt4,
Jan 2, 7:59pm
All vacuum packed meat smells when it is first opened.It's euphemistically called "confinement aroma" and the smell will dissipate after a few minutes.
If the meat is off it will smell much worse.
dezzie,
Jan 2, 8:01pm
yep, vac packed steak has an odd smell for a few minutes, but it goes away and the steak is fine, I guess its the same thing.
webbo2,
Jan 2, 8:09pm
It was pretty high, yes did get a bit better.It was bad enough for my boy to say he wasn't eating it!Don't know if I'll buy anymore, as I said spoilt the enjoyment with the shadow of food poisioning hanging over.
ant_sonja,
Jan 2, 8:34pm
Seems this is just something to content with when it comes to vacuum packed meats. This form of packaging doesn't allow the product to 'breathe' so unusual aromas are more often than not part of the parcel - lucky for you it hadn't progressed to worse. My Brother in law needed to return & exchange a ham he bought this year as the smell was really rank (his words) - he was under the impression it was actually off. Whether it was due to the vacuum packing in this case I don't know but the supermarket staff told him they usually 'only' get 1 or 2 out of 100 hams that go bad.
ant_sonja,
Jan 2, 8:46pm
As a suggestion, next time you purchase a ham - take it out of its plastic wrapping and rinse it well under cold water. Pat dry and store in a "Ham bag" - google for more info but basically a Ham bag soaked daily in a vinegar/water solution will keep it fresh & moist while still allowing it to breathe.
dreamers,
Jan 2, 8:52pm
x1
I t could have been Pork imported from China.I will only buy the pork if i know it is from NZ or the USA
buzzy110,
Jan 2, 8:54pm
Lol. Live animals have, what one can only describe as, a heady aroma. The meat from animals also carries traces of that 'heady aroma' and no doubt, by confining the smell inside a plastic sealed bag for a period of time, you are treated to the full blast upon opening. It doesn't mean the meat is off, just that it is part of what was once a living animal.
griffo4,
Jan 2, 9:06pm
What if you took it out of its bag and let it sit in the fridge for a while to get rid of the smell Yuk what a thought of pork from China thank goodness we do our own so know where it comes from and what they have been fed
ant_sonja,
Jan 2, 9:23pm
There's nothing wrong with a heady animal aroma but it don't think it should be so strong that it makes you wonder if there's something wrong with it :-) I have found that if the meat has been butchered correctly and hung for the appropriate amount of time prior to packaging then you have much less of a chance of encountering 'smelly' meat. Vacuum packaging is great but not when the meat sits in a bunch of watery/bloody liquid and gets sealed in that way for a period of time prior to going on sale. Meat is more or less 'dry' (hardly any blood) after hanging it for the appropriate amount of time but I understand a lot of butcheries these days don't do this anymore hence you get sloshy, smelly vacuum packaged cuts. This is just my experience though - the butchery I use to purchase all my meat is fantastic so I don't have this problem.
greenforde,
Jan 2, 10:03pm
Yuk Pork makes me YUK
buzzy110,
Jan 2, 10:33pm
So!
davidt4,
Jan 2, 10:33pm
Exactly.I don't buy supermarket vacuum packed meat because it has been packed wet and sits there fermenting in its own blood.I know some people like that sightly livery flavour but I don't.We are lucky enough to have a local butcher who dry-ages beef and although a little more expensive it's wonderful meat.
guest,
Aug 12, 12:03am
Unfortunately the packaging for pork doesn't tell you if the product was provided with a protective inert gas that extends shelf life and retards bacteria growth....we need better labeling.
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