Meat has traditionally been bought offline in specialized meat markets, which showcase the meat of many different animals. Animal meat is prepared from specialized slaughterhouses and cut into smaller parts before being processed. Standard methods are used to process it. It is usually the case that processed and cooked meat is presented to the consumer, and the consumer can test the product before paying them. Such marketplaces became common after significant development happened in the areas of food preparation, processing and sanitization practices. Most meat is always processed after coming out because raw meat can be dangerous to eat. But even for meat that can be eaten or sold raw, a good eye is usually required for determining its quality.
The statistics suggest that online markets are rising. From 2016 to 2020, retail e-commerce of every sort has doubled in sales. The same is expected to continue even in the realm of the markets that sell fresh meats online. But in online shops, most of the traditional practices people must make before buying meat are not possible. Unlike other food material, concerns about food safety, quality, shipment services must be resolved before buying meat online. Without the best practices, the consumers can buy products that might be sub-par at the least and harmful at worst.
Top Tips for Buying Fresh Meats Online
Without the right practices, buying online meat products of good quality, whether they are fresh or frozen is difficult. The consumer must do their homework before buying from an online store. The most common method people use to search for a good store is to ask for information from other people. However, there are other methods to look into if one needs. Delivery delays, packaging, and how the overall process is handled tells us a lot about how good the online store is for the consumers. Following are some of the things to understand before buying fresh meats online.
Herd Management Practices
When buying meat or steak, it is important to know how animals are treated before and during the slaughtering process. This information must be present on the store’s website and should be easy to find. Illegal slaughterhouses exist and they may use less than respectable methods to treat the herd of animals that will be used to make meat in the future. Care should also be taken to note that animals must not contain be sick with any disease.
Quality Information
Information presented in the online store shouldn’t be vague. How the online store describes their products becomes important. Simply saying the steak or other such meat related product is “grade A” or “high quality” is not that helpful. Buying fresh meats online must be done if the store is able to explain what goes into the quality assessment procedure. If the store uses a grading system like USDA and uses the terms there, it is probably safe to eat.
Price vs Value
This is a good thing to consider while buying anything online. The stores may usually say that they are selling valued products when in reality they may not be following the correct processing steps. The consumer must look into what practices are followed for each product to get an accurate picture of the value. Of course, the price can matter too, but after determining the value of the meat discounts can be taken advantage of to buy them.
Fresh vs Frozen Meat
There are two types of meat, one that is fresh and the other which is frozen. Fresh meat is hard to ship and maintain but is more healthy. Frozen meat must be only consumed when you as a consumer cannot deal with the requirements that fresh meat imposes. Frozen meat is more sustainable as it has the ability to not decompose without bacterial or fungal infection. But fresh meat has more nutrients, is easier to cook and is more delicious than its frozen version.
Shipping Practices
Most meat products are perishable. This is why it is important for people to keep an eye on how they are shipped. The packaging and temperature while shipping is one of the primary things to look for. Fresh meat cannot be stored without a freezer for long periods of time. This is the reason it is also important to look into the possible delay. If the consumer suspects any delay is evident they should carefully dig deep into their choices.
Reputation and Referrals
Testimonials from other customers can be incredibly helpful when deciding how and where you should shop online. The same applies to buying fresh meats online. The online store is likely to have social media accounts where customers can give reviews. Going through the reviews on these social media sites can give an idea about the value in the store. It is even better if you have contact with someone who regularly buys from the store.
The good news of all this is that there are many stores that sell meat online, and consumers can with little help This has become even more important because of the ongoing epidemic. Meat can easily be carriers of disease. The shipment practices must be checked even more strictly under the present conditions. Consumers should only buy from the stores that have efficient safety protocols for their delivery agents. Non-contact forms of payment must be practiced by consumers. Raw meat consumption must be avoided as much as possible because it might be dangerous.
Conclusion
In the present era, every food including meat can be bought online. It is therefore helpful to understand what goes on behind the scenes with meat processing when making decisions about buying fresh meats online. By practicing good shopping practices, convenience can be increased without compromising security. Foodrunner is a Canadian grocery delivery service. It delivers groceries all around the country on the same day. The grocery service can easily be ordered online and the shipments arrive usually in less than an hour. The service can also be paid for online.
