APA News

  • Public Analysts still at work on Christmas Eve


    Turkey is still the first choice for many on Christmas Day. As with other foods there is a huge amount of choice in terms of quality and most of the big retailers offer both fresh and frozen birds. There can be big price difference between fresh and frozen, particularly at this time of year. Some of us order one for collection from independent butchers who source locally. But how do we know if our purchase if fresh and not a turkey that has been frozen for months then allowed to defrost prior to sale? Unless there are tell-tale ice crystals in the body cavity it can be difficult. Freezing meat causes cellular damage to meat releasing material from the cells. By measuring the activity of specific enzymes in liquid squeezed from muscle tissue it is possible to establish if meat has been previously frozen. Liquid has already been squeezed from these samples and this will be analysed after Christmas. After all Public Analysts and their staff deserve a break too!

    Pictured are some of the specially ordered samples of turkeys being sold as fresh that have found their way to West Yorkshire Analytical Services in Leeds.