Stew in our country is considered a strategic product, since canned meat can be stored for a long time without a refrigerator, remaining ready to eat at any time. But lately, in a tin can more and more often you can find a poor-quality product containing soy protein or inclusions of cartilage and blood vessels. There are a few simple rules that will help the buyer choose a good stew.
Packing condition
It is convenient to choose stew in a glass dish, which allows you to carefully examine the contents. In a quality product, pieces of meat are clearly visible through the glass. They should be dark red, and the juice in which they float should be brownish. A high-quality stew is usually covered on top with a rather large layer of solid yellowish or white fat.
Pay attention to the condition of the can itself: it must be clean, without smudges. The outer side of the lid must be free of traces of rust, as well as damage to the lithographic, varnish or enamel coating (minor defects are allowed only in the area of the seam seam).
Much more often on the shelves you can find stew, packaged in cans. The condition and quality of their contents can be judged by the appearance of the packaging. Twirl it in your hands. If deformation is found in some place, it is better to refrain from buying, since if the sheet is damaged, the inner coating containing zinc, tin and nickel is damaged. Their ingestion can cause poisoning. Also, a swollen can testifies to the deterioration of the product.
Composition information
Printing directly on the sheet metal is a good sign. This operation is technically complex and is used mainly in state-owned meat processing plants. The paper label should be glued over its entire area. If the label is fixed with tape, attached with only a few drops of glue, or is absent altogether, you can doubt the quality of the stew.
Regardless of the type of packaging, do not store the stew in direct sunlight. This will spoil the product before the expiration date.
Stew, made in strict accordance with GOST, is called "Stewed Pork" or "Stewed Beef". An indication that the manufacturer has deviated from this standard may be the TU inscription. The worst case scenario is the absence of both of the above labels on the bank. At the same time, the manufacturer deliberately admits the non-compliance of his product with existing standards.
Poultry stew is not often counterfeited, but it contains a lot of skin and bones.
Special cipher
Also, high-quality stew can be identified by the information on the lid. The first row contains the date of manufacture of the product, the second - the assortment number and shift number. For canned food of the highest grade, together with the assortment number (for pork - 03, for beef - 01), the letter "B" is put. The last row contains the individual manufacturer's code, consisting of numbers and letters. "KP" means the food industry, "A" - meat. Letter "K" means fruit and vegetable farming, "MS" - agricultural production, it is worth thinking about the quality of stew with these signs.
