Mad Cow Disease

Mad cow disease also called Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy. The scary part about this disease is that it cannot be detected easily. This disease would not be destroyed by any forms of heat treatments, ultraviolet light, ionizing radiation, normal sterilization processes, and common disinfectants that normally inactivate viruses and bacteria. Thus, it is very important to identify this disease before the beef are distributed for exports and for consumption. Tests are usually conducted using the brain/spinal tissues using postmortem microscopic examination of brain tissue using sophisticated laboratory techniques, such as a histopathological examination to detect sponge-like changes in the brain tissue and immunohistochemistry to examine the BSE fibrils. This test would take more than one week to collect the results, thus, there are more rapid tests to detect the abnormal prion in brain or spinal cord tissue of dead animals. Rapid tests can be used to determine if BSE exists in a population and to obtain an indication of its prevalence or detect animals with the disease which are not yet showing clinical signs. The behavioral changes of the cattles also could be monitored to provide early diagnose of cattles that are probably with MCD to prevent the disease from being transmitted, infecting the whole farm. Cattle affected by BSE experience progressive degeneration of the nervous system. Affected animals might display changes in temperament, such as nervousness or aggression, abnormal posture, incoordination and difficulty in rising, decreased milk production, or loss of body weight despite continued appetite.

If beef with MCD is consumed by human, it could cause fatility. There is strong epidemiologic and laboratory data linking a rare, degenerative, fatal brain disorder in humans called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) to the consumption of BSE-contaminated product. This type of disease begins primarily with psychiatric symptoms and affects younger patients (median age, 28 years).

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Bovine_Spongiform_Encephalopathy_Mad_Cow_Disease/index.asp

Metal detecting

Since my identified CCP is on the processing step, metal detecting, i shall share on what i found.

We need metal detector because of product safety, equipment protection, contract requirement, and regulatory compliance.

The intent of testing is to detect metal shavings from cutting blades, staples and other metal items in the food product and allow the removal of that product from the production stream. FSIS rules require the metal detecting equipment be tested hourly.

Testing procedures: Metal detecting equipment in a food production line is tested by including the test standard in the flow of the product. If the equipment is working properly, the metal detector will sound the alarm and stop the product flow. If this does not happen, the equipment has failed the test. For production lines processing bulk goods, on a conveyor, the test standard is placed near the center of the flow of product. Packaged products are tested by placing the test standard in a box with the product. The idea is to place the test standards as deep in the product as possible; if the detector sees the standard at that point, it should detect metal at any point in the product.

Metals are ferrous, non-ferrous or stainless steel. The ease of detection will depend on their magnetic permeability and electrical conductivity. The size, shape and orientation of the metal particle also are important. Since size, shape and orientation of metal contaminants are not possible to control, it is best to operate a metal detector at the highest possible sensitivity setting. This allows the metal detector to sense if there is metal in the food and remove 100 percent of the detected contaminants.

History of Barbeque

Here are some interesting facts i found about the origin of barbeque and how it evolved into what it is currently associated with in today's context.

Some believe that barbecue was introduced by the Taino tribe of the Caribbean region. They used to keep the meat on a wooden platform above the fire, supported by sticks. Another way was cooking the meat in a pit made in the ground. This was usually practiced to preserve the meat from getting spoiled.

Another theory suggests that barbecue is derived from a French word, 'Barbe a queue' which literally means 'whiskers to tail' i.e. roasting the entire animal. It is also said that in the earlier times signs reading "Bar, Beer and Cues", were put up in front of the roadhouses and beer joints that had a pool table to attract customers and the name 'barbecue' has been derived from it.

Barbecue was introduced in America in the early 1800s, when cowboys were employed for moving cattle to the West. These cowboys were given meat that was hard and impossible to chew. They found out that cooking meat, directly on the fire for 5-7 hours makes the meat tender and edible. They also experimented with goat, pork ribs, beef ribs, venison and pork butt, and the results were delicious!

Barbeque in the traditional way is using wood or charcoal over a open flame and cooking the meat slowly over a long period of time. Nowadays, it is a popular event where people gather to eat and make merry. Gas barbeques have also become increasingly popular and the taste vary depending on the cooking style.

credits: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/history-of-barbecue-bbq.html

Best bak kwa in Singapore?

Which bak kwa do you all prefer? I tink my family usually buy Bee Cheng Hiang Bak Kwa. I think it's not bad.

Mad Cow Disease

This is the research about 'mad cow disease' i found from the book - animal health. I have summerize the important part.

1. The background information

The "mad cow disease" also called the 'bovine spongiform encephalopathy'(BSE). BSE is an extremely serious disease of cattle, believed to have originated from infected meat and bonemeal in cattle feed concentrates, which was derived from a similar disease in sheep known as scrapie. BSE is a fatal brain disease of cattle which has only come to light in recent years, having been first recognised in the UK in 1986. The incubation period for BSE is very long, commonly 3-5 years, but in range can be considerably wider, from 30 months to 8 years and possibly even longer.

2. The risk to man

If there is a danger that BSE could be risk to man, two situations must be considered: firstly, that the disease can be transmitted from cattle to man and, secondly, that parts of the diseased animals carrying the infective agent can enter the human food chain。

On the first issue, there is no direct scientific evidence to show that BSE can be transmitted from cattle to man. If there is any risk to the human subject, it is extremely small and no greater for children, hospital patients, pregnant women or those people who are ill or lack th full power of their immunological systems.

The second issue is whether parts of a BSE-infected animal can enter the human food chain. The evidence at present is that whilst the BSE infective agent can be found in the brain, spinal cord and also the retina of affected cattle, extensive tests have failed to detect it in the muscle meat and milk of infected beasts. Mandatory measures have been taken, and strengthened, to prevent all those part of the animal that might be infected from entering the food chain. The current enforcement of these regulations appear to be working efficiently, with heavy penalties being imposed by those who evade them, but very few people are doing so.

Making beef bak kwa at home

Ingredients:
1kg minced beef
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp five-spice powder
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tbs red food colouring



Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients except for the pork in a large bowl. Add the minced pork and marinate for at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 100C/210F. Grease baking trays. I used 2 since it was all I could fit into the oven.
3. Oil the baking trays generously with cooking oil. Spread ( using the back of 2 oiled spoons ) the marinated minced pork thinly onto the baking trays, approximately 0.5cm or thinner.
4. Place the baking trays in the oven, either on the same shelf if your oven is big enough or on two different levels. Dry the mixture for 60 - 70 minutes with the oven door ajar. Switch the baking trays halfway through if they are on different levels. Flip the pork when one side of it becomes dry/slightly charred, in order to cook the underside. The time depends on how thick you’ve spread the mixture. It might be a plus minus 60 minutes. It really depends. You just have to watch and cook it till you think it’s best.
5. When done, the mixture will be semi-dry (some liquid from the marinade may appear around the pork) and the pork will shrink slightly away from the edges of the baking trays. Remove carefully from the trays and cut into smaller squares or rectangles as you wish.
6. Place all the meat onto a baking/grilling tray or broiler and bake for a further 5 to 8 minutes on each side. It should sizzle and caramelise nicely; make sure the edges do not become charred.

cr: sarah-loft.com

BBQ beef

Personally, i have not tried BBQ beef before. Usually, i think people tend to eat BBQ pork. Have anyone of you tried BBQ beef before?

I realised that Bee Cheng Hiang does sell BBQ beef. They also have vacuum packed BBQ beef. On the other hand, Fragrance Foodstuff does not sell BBQ beef i think but there is Crocodile BBQ meat, sounds exotic. I think i shall ask my family to try both.

Do take note people... do not eat too much Bak Kwa as Bak Kwa is grilled over charcoal fire which may trigger the carcinogen formation in the meat. Chinese also consider Bak Kwa as a 'heaty' food whereby excessive consumption will cause a person to be ill. It's fattening too...

Bak Kwa?

Bak kwa, also known as rou gan (肉干), is a dried savoury sweetmeat which traditionally takes the form of thin square slices. It is usually made from pork.

Bak kwa and rou gan mean “dried meat” in Hokkien and Mandarin, respectively. It is also sometimes referred to as barbecued pork, dried pork or pork jerky.

History of bak kwa

Bak kwa is thought to have derived from a meat preservation and preparation technique used in ancient China. It is also considered a Hokkien delicacy, as it originated from the Fujian province in China, where poverty meant that the consumption of meat was a luxury usually reserved for Chinese New Year.

Leftover meat are preserved by slicing the meat into thin sheets and marinating them with sugar and spices, before air-drying the slices and cooking them over a hot plate.

When immigrants brought this delicacy over to Singapore and Malaysia, it took on local characteristics. For example, while the meat is still air-dried, it is instead grilled over charcoal, which imparts a smokier flavour. The local version is also sweeter than its original counterpart.

The first and oldest bak kwa shop in Singapore is Kim Hock Guan, which was set up in 1905 with the first outlet in Rochor Road. Other major players in the local bak kwa business include Bee Cheng Hiang, Lim Chee Guan, Fragrance Foodstuff and Kim Joo Guan.