THE IMPORTANCE OF A CLEAN BUTCHER SHOP

A good health implies an efficient level of functionality and metabolism of a living organism; as such anything that will deteriorate the standard nature of the body should be totally avoided. Most Australians most likely buy their meat (be it steaks and raw chicken) at the supermarket paying little attention to how much it costs or how fresh it is. If you are in this category, you may have to consider buying all your meat at a clean organic butcher shop from now on. Selecting a neat butcher goes hand in hand with what’s best for your health. If you’re searching for a clean butchery, it means you’re hoping to buy quality and hygienic meats.  One of the biggest concerns butcher shops have is cleaning the blocks. This is because you can’t stick them in the dishwater and sink; you have to clean your butcher block by hand.

Butchers who use both plastic butcher boards and wooden butcher boards experience bacteria evenly spread over the surface of boards. When raw meat comes into contact with the wood, bacteria, and germs can make their way into the pores where they will survive. And, when meats or steaks that are purchased from such tool are consumed, it brings up an important health issue. To help prevent this, a reputable butcher shop cleans their block with a spray solution of bleach and water (the solution usually contain more of water than bleach). They simply spray it down and give it a thorough wiping with a towel.

Since meat is perishable, one could be skeptical about the quality of meat when buying from a butcher’s shop. However, in order to dispel these doubts, it is critical to understand the type of technology (particularly in preservation) these shops use. In an effort to prevent cross-contamination, a clean butcher will store raw and cooked meats separately or maybe store smoked and cooked meats on upper shelves, and place the raw meats closer to the floor. This is to ensure juices that spill from raw meats will easily drip onto the floor instead of contaminating other food products. More so, a clean butcher shop will package the meat in airtight containers and always done under refrigerated conditions to make sure you get good quality meat that’s still quite fresh.

A reputable butcher shop is not just selling meat but, can also be termed as a complete culinary experience. He/she not only sells you the meat you want, but also lectures you on how to cut meats, and advises you on the best possible ways to cook it, and how it generally contributes to your overall nutrition.

They make sure to clean the storage area thoroughly on a weekly basis to prevent the spread of bacteria. They ensure they regularly enlist a professional cleaner to thoroughly clean every corner of the butcher store because good hygiene goes beyond clean equipment and counter tops.  The use of traditional cleaning methods, such as rags and wipes are employed so as to leave dirt and bacteria behind. Their team cleans the equipment more often during the hours of operation. This is to ensure that the products you purchase comply with food safety standards.

Australians eating less Beef

Australians have always been known to be a nation of meat lovers.  Australians spend $378 million a week on meat to cook at home.  Today Australians are eating roughly 50% less beef than they were in 1975.  There appears to be a trend towards poultry and pork as an increased choice of meat to consume. Let’s look at some of the factors responsible for this trend:

Concern for animal welfare

As there is increased awareness guided by the ease of information sharing today compared to 40 years ago, consumers are more vocal about animal welfare.  Numerous research and surveys conducted show that people do care about how cattle is treated  and are willing to pay more for meat that is produced in a more humane way, without cruelty and where the animal does not endure an extended period of pain.

Affordability

Cattle prices have peaked at a staggering $166 in 2015, this is 550% increase from the price of cattle in 1975 where it was $31.  This is an average price increase of over 13% per year, much higher that rate of inflation and cost of living.

Misleading labeling and poor regulation

Research has shown that if a sample meat was labelled with humane or ethical, the consumer would associate the meat as having a better taste than a sample without the label, even though the meat was produced identically.  Terms such as humane and ethical are interpreted in different ways from one person to the next and are not clearly regulated.

Fighting global warming

Consumers are more aware of climate change and the effects of global warming.  More cattle produced mean the requirement for deforestation.  Trees store huge amounts of carbon and cleanse the atmosphere of carbon dioxide.  As cattle digest, they produce methane which is a greenhouse gas twenty five times more harmful than carbon dioxide.  Consumers are therefore choosing to reduce demand in order to fight this problem.