What kind of meat is used in the grilled sausages sold on the street? Can we eat it?

We often see people selling grilled sausages on the roadside or at tourist attractions. The sizzling sound and the aroma are really attractive. I want to buy one to satisfy my craving, but while enjoying it, I am a little worried: What kind of meat is this grilled sausage made of? Will it give me diarrhea if I eat it?

Speaking of grilled sausage, it is actually an imported product. It originated in Frankfurt in the 13th century, and later spread to the United States and evolved into "hot dogs". It entered Japan in the mid-20th century and became popular in Taiwan. In the 1990s, grilled sausage entered the mainland under the name of "Taiwanese snacks" and developed rapidly.

Whether it can be eaten or not depends first on whether the meat is safe.

Instant meat products such as ham and grilled sausages have evolved from primitive sausage-like meat products made by early humans for the purpose of maximizing the use of food resources .

Initially, people separated the edible parts of a whole cow or pig carcass that were suitable for simple cooking, and then chopped up the various scraps of meat, fat and other by-products produced during the process, added salt and stuffed them into the intestines or stomach of the animal to make sausages. Later, in order to extend the shelf life, people also used fermentation, air-drying, cooking and smoking methods.

Nowadays, whether it is the fried ham sausage on the street or the electric-grilled flavored sausage in the convenience store, it is basically made by adding starch, various seasonings and color enhancers to scraps of meat, skin, etc., then filling them into collagen sausage and sterilizing them . Due to the low price of raw materials and the simple process, the price is often relatively low.

In addition to being concerned about the source of the meat, many people are also worried about the harm of additives in sausages to the human body.

In fact, if the sausage is produced and sold by a regular manufacturer, the content of each additive is added in strict accordance with national standards, and eating it occasionally will not be so harmful to the body . Moreover, because of the presence of additives, the risk of other substances poisoning the body is largely avoided. For example, nitrite, as a color enhancer, also has the function of killing botulinum toxin in contaminated meat products. Moreover, the amount of additives used in ham sausages produced by regular manufacturers is strictly added in accordance with the "Food Additives Use Standard (GB2760)", so eating a few occasionally will not affect the body .

However, grilled sausages are high-sodium and high-fat foods. If you eat two (about 50g/stick) crispy grilled sausages at a time, the sodium intake is close to half of the daily intake required by adults (2000mg), and the fat intake will reach 80% of the daily requirement. Therefore, grilled sausages can be eaten, but for health reasons, they should be eaten less .

In addition, the environmental sanitation of the business premises, the electric baking time, the sanitary conditions of the sausage grilling machine, etc. will also affect the quality of the sausage . Generally speaking, the seller of sausages cannot avoid guaranteeing that they are baked and sold immediately. If the sausages are left on the grill for more than a few hours after opening the package, there is a risk that the sausages will be contaminated by harmful microorganisms and other substances in the environment, which may cause food poisoning.

In addition, the sanitation of the electric sausage grill. If the electric sausage grill is not cleaned regularly, the oil may be repeatedly heated to produce carcinogens such as 3,4-benzopyrene, acrylamide, and trans fatty acids , and the sausage may be contaminated. Therefore, when eating sausage, you must buy it from a regular place .