Cause of meat turning green during cooking revealed in Khulna

A laboratory report of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has revealed the reason behind the sensation created when the colour of beef changed from red to bright green during cooking in Paikgacha of Khulna. The incident on July 22 raised various questions and panic among local people over the safety of the meat. After learning about the matter, samples of raw and cooked meat were collected on the instruction of Upazila Nirbahi Officer Wasiuzzaman Chowdhury and sent to the laboratory of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) for testing.

The report of the Food Analysis Division of BFSA stated that the test found no presence of any harmful bacteria or pigment-producing ‘Pseudomonas’ bacteria in the samples. The samples also had no putrid smell or sticky texture. In other words, no link was found between the colour change and bacterial spoilage.

Analysis of the spectrophotometric test results suggests that the meat had been stored in a freezer for a long time. Later, when exposed to high heat during cooking, a chemical transformation or structural change may have occurred in the myoglobin or heme pigment of the meat, which could have caused it to turn green. However, the report did not specifically identify the cause. Prolonged storage and cooking at high temperature have been mentioned only as possible reasons.

BFSA said a copy of the test report has been sent for necessary action to allay public panic and inform the local administration.