That succulent piece of meat you are about to bite could be unsafe

Sharada Ghimire of Shantinagar, Kathmandu has plans of purchasing at least six kgs of meat for Dashain . She has already ‘booked’ the meat at her local butcher shop and will soon buy the meat and store it in her refrigerator. “It saves me the time and effort of going out every time guests arrive,” she said. Hundreds of thousands of animals are slaughtered every Dashain . Urban residents, however, prefer to buy meat from shops. Due to a lack of proper slaughterhouses people buy their meat from roadside shops, a number of which spring up overnight, simply to cater to the Dashain meat rush. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) estimates that there are over 2,000 meat shops inside the city despite the fact that it has registered only around 800 of them. This means that a large section of the meat shops do not abide by government standards of hygiene and meat safety. Moreover, buying meat from an open roadside stall is not at all safe and neither is storing the meat in a refrigerator. Microbiologist Dwij Bhatta said that a survey conducted by the Central Department of Microbiology at Tribhuvan University some three months ago showed the presence of coliform bacteria in meat samples collected from various areas of Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Kirtipur. Bhatta, who is head of the department, said that although the practice of sterilising meat has yet to be practiced, basic safety measures need to be taken prior to the consumption of meat. “The erratic supply of electricity means that even meat kept in the deep freezer of refrigerators is likely to melt and make it unhealthy for consumption,” said Bhatta. “Some cold-loving bacteria can also survive in such conditions and secrete toxins, increasing the chances of cross-contamination in the refrigerator.” Dr Indresh Jha, veterinary officer at the district livestock services, Kathmandu, said the meat must be stored at temperatures between -5 degree Celsius and -20 degree Celsius. “However, regular power outages is sure to deteriorate the meat,” Jha said. Experts claim that partially-cooked meat and even burned meat are not good for health. Dr Bhupendra Basnet, gastroenterologist at the Bir Hospital, claims that over-consumption of proteins is likely to lead to indigestion, gastritis and even food poisoning. These issues are further exacerbated by the simultaneous consumption of large amount of alcohol. “Barbequed meat can raise the risks of cancer and consuming liquor, along with meat, is not good for the heart, the blood vessels and the liver,” said Dr Basnet. Additionally, the water used during the slaughtering, meat processing and during preparations for consumption should be well-treated. Five areas for goat, sheep sale The KMC has allocated five areas for the sale of goats and sheep brought into the Capital in droves for the Dashain festival slaughter. The KMC has decided to allow the sale of goats only at Khasi Bazaar in Kalanki, Bijulibazaar, an open ground at Tinkune, the Tukucha Khasi Bazaar and one area in Balaju. Dr Baburam Gautam of the KMC said they have sent a team of veterinary doctors to the areas to check the animals being sold. He said the ones found unhealthy are being marked with red paint, while the healthy ones are being marked with green. According to him, the unhealthy ones will be allowed to be sold after their treatment. It is estimated that over 60,000 goats and sheep will be sold and subsequently killed during the festival season.