When you buy meat in bins, you often see a red liquid at the bottom of the containers: do you think it’s blood? No, it’s not blood.
To find out more, I asked my butcher directly what this red liquid is. And I was very surprised by his response. If this liquid looks like blood, his explanation is totally different. That’s what it is.
I assure you that it is not blood and perhaps you noticed it when you bought your meat trays. In fact, most meat trays have a red liquid at the bottom.
Many people think it’s blood, but that’s not the case. During animal slaughter, the blood is drained. More precisely, animals to be slaughtered are emptied of their blood before being slaughtered. As a result, when the meat is spread on trays, there is no blood.
In reality, what you see at the bottom of the box is myoglobin . It is a liquid identical to blood , but it is not blood. It is a type of protein found in mammals such as sheep, cows or pigs. It is found in large quantities in older and more physically active animals. For this reason white meat does not contain this liquid.
Myoglobin is in fact an essential fluid because it transports and maintains oxygen in muscle cells. It is particularly present in the heart and in the muscles attached to the skeleton.
How is myoglobin formed?
You should know that meat is largely made up of water, up to 75% . To store it properly, it is usually stored in the freezer before being sold or at home.
Ice crystals form during freezing. These crystals damage muscle cells. As a result, after the freezing or thawing phase, myoglobin is released.
In other words, when you thaw the meat, the crystals also thaw and provide water. This will combine with the proteins. Together, they will form the red liquid . It is therefore no coincidence that absorbent wipes are found in the meat trays.