How to clean a refrigerator from the smell of rotten meat: how to remove it, folk methods

Eating expired, spoiled meat products is the main cause of meat poisoning. Depending on storage conditions and quality, several types of rotting and decomposition of meat are distinguished:

Tanning - meat carcasses lie on top of each other in a warm room or are not plucked for a long time. An unpleasant smell of hydrogen sulfide appears and the meat turns grey. If the process has not reached the deep tissues, then you can simply cut it finely, ventilate it, and it will become usable;
Fermentation is characterized by a change from a normal environment to an acidic one. Due to the development of fungi, the process can transform into rotting. Raw meat has an unpleasant sour smell and turns grayish-white;
Rotting is the decomposition of protein under the influence of harmful bacteria, most often causing product spoilage. Sometimes even storing the carcass at low temperatures does not save the product from rotting if the animal was sick, tired or poorly maintained. The main differences are the unpleasant odor, friability of the bones, and the unnatural gray color of the flesh;
Mold is the appearance of harmful fungi on the surface and inside the product that produce toxins. Their appearance is facilitated by violated storage rules - high humidity, lack of ventilation, high density between carcasses.

Rotten, rotten meat causes severe poisoning. You ingest hundreds of E. coli or staph bacteria.

While inside, they begin to produce poison - the gastrointestinal tract becomes inflamed, metabolism is disrupted, and all vital processes of the body slow down.

Causes of intoxication

Many people mistakenly believe that only rotten meat can cause intoxication, but this opinion is incorrect. You can get poisoned for various reasons.

Food poisoning

Food poisoning is the most common diagnosis given to patients who have eaten rotten meat. Pathology develops in most cases due to infection of the product by pathogenic microorganisms. You can get food poisoning if you eat raw or undercooked meat, but full frying or prolonged cooking is not able to protect the body from toxins that can be released by some bacteria.

Food poisoning can develop not only due to infection with microorganisms, but also due to the content of toxic substances in meat!

Factors contributing to the development of food poisoning include:

use for slaughter of livestock infected with dangerous diseases;
non-compliance with storage conditions (violation of temperature conditions, proximity of a good product to a spoiled one);
the entry of pathogenic microorganisms into food due to non-compliance with hygiene rules (working with meat with unwashed hands, failure to use gloves, etc.).

Contaminated product

Meat poisoning can develop if it has been contaminated with parasites, bacteria or viruses. Dangerous pathogens include:

campylobacteriosis (a virus that affects birds);
E. coli (infection is possible by eating beef);
listeriosis (especially dangerous during pregnancy, leading to perinatal and neonatal pathologies);
mad cow disease virus (in 99% of cases the disease is fatal);
trichinosis (can develop if the meat of bear or other wild animals has been consumed).

Infected people can pose a danger to others, as they are carriers of infections!

Rotten meat

Rotten meat is another dangerous product that is easy to encounter in everyday life. It ends up on store shelves due to:

malfunctions in freezers;
long-term storage without ensuring temperature conditions;
storing the product outdoors in the summer heat.

Spoiled meat can be easily distinguished by its specific smell, secretion of mucus and fibrin, and putrefactive structure. If you are poisoned by stale meat, it is impossible to infect others around you.

Meat poisoning: prevention

It is easier to avoid meat poisoning than to spend a long time in treatment and recovery from it. To do this, you need to follow a number of preventive measures:

Buy meat only from certified points of sale, from reliable sellers;
If you buy on the market, then only on the one that is controlled by local governments. Be sure to ask about the expiration date, whether storage rules are followed, and where the product came from;
In supermarkets, look at the packaging, buy only from trusted manufacturers;
Pay attention to the appearance - a gray-white tint, an unpleasant smell are the first signs of spoiled meat;
Subject to thorough heat treatment. Unfortunately, some livestock infections (anthrax, tuberculosis, glanders) do not die even at high temperatures, be vigilant. The risk of poisoning from chicken meat is lower if properly processed;
Store in the freezer. Do not re-freeze - tissue disintegrates, nutritional value is lost, quality deteriorates;
Be sure to wash the meat in cold water and drain the first broth when cooking;
If you can't immediately cook chilled meat, cut it up and freeze it.

Sometimes sellers deliberately hide the poor quality of the product, so you can be poisoned by ready-made boiled meat. How to recognize a poor quality product:

An unnatural red or bluish tint indicates either the carcass was painted or treated with chlorine or other substances. Cut off a piece of meat; if the inside turns out to be dirty gray, the product was intentionally dyed. Chlorinated meat has an unhealthy blue color; when cooked, the broth strongly emits chlorine;
Avoid ready-made semi-finished meat products, cuts with lots of spices and salt. They can be used in large quantities to hide mold and fermentation;
It is better to buy frozen meat without re-freezing. To check, place a paper napkin on the pulp; if it is immediately saturated with meat juice, it means that it has already been defrosted and frozen several times.

Symptoms

Symptoms of meat poisoning in most cases are similar to those that occur with other food intoxications. How many hours does it take for a person to have the first complaints? On average, from the moment of eating contaminated raw, poorly cooked or rotten meat, 2 to 4 hours pass, but the incubation period can increase to a day. Signs of poisoning bother the victim for an average of 3-5 days, and complete recovery with timely assistance occurs in 6-7 days.

All intoxications are characterized by common symptoms:

patient complaints of acute pain in the lower abdomen, developing 1-3 hours after eating low-quality food;
feeling of nausea, attacks of vomiting and belching;
diarrhea (the nature of the stool may vary depending on the pathogen that has entered the body);
temperature jump to 39 °C.

As intoxication progresses, tachycardia appears, the patient complains of severe thirst, headaches and dizziness, and an increase in pulse is detected.

Symptoms and forms of poisoning

Infectious agents that live in poorly processed , rotten meat have different effects on the body, so it is customary to divide symptoms based on their form.

Signs of salmonella intoxication:

Sharp, severe pain in the center of the abdominal cavity;
Uncontrollable vomiting of blood, nausea;
Diarrhea, liquid stool mixed with blood;
Temperature 38-40 degrees;
Severe headaches, possibly slow reactions, clouding of consciousness.

At the initial stage of development, only laboratory tests of the victim’s urine and blood will help to distinguish the symptoms of meat poisoning by Salmonella from E. coli.

Symptoms of botulism:

Weakness in the muscles (it is difficult to clench a fist, simple walking is difficult), disruption of the visual apparatus (clouded images, spots, doubling of objects) are the first signs of damage by botulinum toxin;
Slowing down breathing until it stops;
It is impossible to swallow not only food, liquid, but also saliva due to the abundance of vomit;
Slurred speech, confusion, dizziness.

How does your health change due to rotten meat bacteria - typhoid, paratyphoid, staphylococcus:

The lymph nodes of the small intestine become denser and increase in size;
The growth of lymph nodes of the abdominal organs causes pain in the abdomen;
Coordination is impaired;
The pupils become enlarged and react poorly to light;
Strong headache;
Fever with chills;
Hallucinations, delusions;
In the future, paralysis and paresis may appear.

If the meat eaten contains enteroviruses, the following symptoms are observed:

Vomiting, nausea;
Loose stools;
Weakness due to dehydration, exhaustion of the body;
The temperature rises.

A general set of characteristics that is characteristic of any species:

From the digestive tract - vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite;
From the senses – visual impairment;
From the central nervous system - blurred speech, headaches, dizziness, fatigue;
From the musculoskeletal system - muscle weakness, loss of balance, lack of coordination;
On the part of the breathing apparatus - shortness of breath or slow breathing followed by stopping;
Other – dry mouth, hoarseness, increased or decreased temperature.

First Aid Basics

What to do in case of poisoning? First of all, all efforts should be aimed at removing toxins from the victim’s body.

The person undergoes gastric lavage. He is forced to drink several glasses of water, and then, by pressing on the area of the root of the tongue, he is induced to vomit. The manipulation is repeated until the wash waters become clean.

If a person is unconscious, then washing is not carried out! The procedure is also not recommended for children.

First aid also consists of taking adsorbent drugs. Enterosgel, Filtrum STI, activated carbon are suitable. With their help, you can achieve the binding of toxins and their safe removal from the body.

The person who has been poisoned should drink plenty of fluids to prevent symptoms of dehydration. A solution of Regidron or WHO powder is recommended, but ordinary water in small portions with an interval of 10-15 minutes is also suitable.

How to clean the refrigerator from the smell of rotten meat using specialized products

Special absorbers of unpleasant odors will help you quickly remove the smell of spoiled meat from the refrigerator - they are sold in supermarkets and hardware stores. They are made on the basis of coal, thanks to which such preparations perfectly absorb any foreign odors.

There are several types of odor absorbers for kitchen equipment:

Balls filled with silica gel are a fairly budget option; they are sold in several packs. One is enough to clean the refrigerator; the rest should be stored in airtight packaging, since the ball gradually loses its properties when in contact with air.
Absorbers filled with activated carbon granules – as a bonus, vegetables and fruits stay fresh longer.
With helium - for greater efficiency, manufacturers add extracts from citrus fruits and seaweed to them. When evaporating, they absorb unpleasant odors very quickly and also perfectly refresh the air in a closed space.
Mineral salt crystals - this substance perfectly removes any unappetizing odors, and a single crystal is very practical. Once a month it is washed well with water to remove the spent salt layer, after which the surface of the crystal is again ready for use.
Ozonizers not only perfectly eliminate rotten odors, but also completely destroy dangerous microorganisms, further preventing spoilage of meat products.

The choice of a store-bought absorber that will help quickly remove a disgusting odor if meat accidentally goes bad in the refrigerator depends solely on the characteristics of a particular household appliance - any of these products performs its functions 100%. Place it so that there is enough free space around the crystals or balls, otherwise the aromas of the food stored in the refrigerator will transfer to them.

For a large unit, it is worth purchasing several absorbers, evenly distributing them on the shelves from top to bottom. The tightness of the packaging and the release date are also important - it is better to purchase an absorber that hit the store shelves no more than six months ago, since even when sealed it gradually loses its properties.

Comment! Instead of a ready-made product, pharmaceutical activated carbon is quite suitable - a small plate with several tablets should be left in the refrigerator for a day.

Also in stores you can find a whole arsenal of powerful chemicals that will remove the nasty rotten smell once and for all:

“Oro Fix 02012”, “Odorgon” are potent neutralizers of unpleasant odors. After treatment with any of these drugs, the refrigerator doors should be tightly closed.
“FeedBack” is an undeniable advantage of this product - it can be used in rooms with pregnant women and small children.
“Top House”, “Frau Schmidt” are egg-shaped absorbers of unpleasant odors, the first has a strong antibacterial effect, the second is absolutely harmless, since it contains only natural coal chips.
“Filtero” are special filters that quickly absorb foreign odors inside the refrigerator compartment.

Therapy methods

In case of meat poisoning, there is often no time to wait for test results; the patient needs treatment here and now. In this regard, general techniques are used:

gastric lavage using a tube (use a weak solution of potassium permanganate or soda);
repeated intake of enterosorbents;
enhanced fight against dehydration (not only oral administration of solutions is possible, but also infusion);
in case of severe poisoning due to salmonella, typhoid, paratyphoid, staphylococci, antibiotic therapy is indicated;
In hospital settings, parenteral detoxification therapy is carried out.

If necessary, use specific treatment (for example, administer anti-botulinum serum). Saline laxatives are not used!

The doctor studies the symptoms, and treatment is prescribed based on the data obtained as a result of the examination and survey. Specific therapy is indicated after receiving test results!

Traditional medicine to help

Some people prefer treatment at home. In case of mild intoxication, it is allowed. The following methods can be used:

two teaspoons of finely chopped licorice root are poured with half a liter of water and simmered in a water bath for 10 minutes, then left for 2 hours and drunk half a glass three times a day;
50 gr. smooth hernia is poured with a liter of boiling water and infused for two hours, the resulting infusion is drunk three times a day before meals, half a glass;
dissolve a spoonful of aniseed vodka in a glass of boiled water and drink the resulting mixture in one gulp;
clover, oak bark and horsetail are mixed in a ratio of 1:1:1, poured with a liter of boiling water and taken 100 ml 7 times a day;
mix dry horsetail, sunflower leaves and reed flowers, add boiling water and drink 100 ml four times a day.

Treating intoxication at home is prohibited during pregnancy. If we are talking about children or the elderly, then hospitalization is also recommended, even if the poisoning is mild!

Tricks of manufacturers and sellers

If all three previous criteria have passed the test perfectly, you can safely purchase meat and go home to prepare your next culinary masterpiece. But in some cases, unscrupulous sellers or a missing product that appears to be fresh.

There are several ways they can do this. For example, wash in a solution of potassium permanganate, soak in vinegar, treat with various substances and spices. However, even in this case, spoiled meat can be recognized. Simply apply a white paper napkin to the pork or beef. The bright pink mark remaining on it will indicate deception and a low-quality product.

Surely, you will be interested in learning how to quickly defrost meat without losing its beneficial properties and taste. Although modern housewives often prefer to buy chilled meat products, which should be cooked immediately after purchase.

Photo: PxHere.

Preventive actions

Preventing poisoning is a simpler matter than treating it. To avoid intoxication, you must:

carefully check expiration dates and storage conditions of products in stores;
place increased demands on meat, its appearance, smell, so as not to accidentally purchase a rotten product;
buy products only in special, trusted stores, where they can provide all the documents and health records;
do not consume meat from wild animals (bears and other adult predators) without prior thorough processing;
Any meat dish must be properly prepared and stored at home.

Following the rules will help avoid poisoning or at least significantly reduce its likelihood. Meat poisoning can pose a threat not only to human health, but also to human life. When the first signs of intoxication appear, you must immediately consult a doctor and begin providing first aid to the victim.

What to do if the meat in the refrigerator is rotten

The specific smell comes from microorganisms that actively multiply when raw meat spoils - plastic absorbs it well, which is why it is so important to take timely measures to remove all extraneous odors.

There may be several reasons for the occurrence of unappetizing odors in an apartment. The most common:

dishes prepared from meat (soup, roast, cutlets) have spoiled - it is necessary to urgently audit all home preparations;
leftover food that has spilled or fallen onto the shelf - you should defrost the refrigerator and thoroughly wash all internal surfaces, including rubber seals on the doors;
expired products;
refrigeration unit malfunction;
forgetfulness and inattention;
force majeure power outage;
long absence of apartment owners.

Important!
No one can withstand the terrible odors for a long time, and it will not be easy to remove them from the room, so you should begin eliminating the consequences of the disaster immediately. The first thing to do if there is no raw meat in the refrigerator is to urgently throw away the illicit goods, only then will it be possible to remove the unpleasant smell. It is also necessary to take out the rest of the food and check whether it has absorbed an unpleasant aroma, and scrupulously inspect any meat products, even if you bought them recently. Next, the refrigerator is turned off and thoroughly washed from the inside using specialized preparations or those products that are always at hand. It is better to remove individual parts and shelves - it will be much easier to wash off the disgusting smell if you additionally soak them in ice water. After general cleaning, the unit is left open for at least 12 hours.

The smell of lamb, boar or goat

Lamb is the favorite meat of Eastern nationalities, but Europeans do not always like its specific smell, even when fresh. The following measures will help eliminate meat odor.

Method 1. Take dried thyme - 2 sprigs.

What should be done:

At the very beginning of cooking, add a couple of sprigs of thyme to the water.
The smell of lamb will go away during cooking.

Method 2. Take:

What should be done:

Rub the lamb with spices and garlic.
Leave in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Method 3. Take water and a saucepan.

What should be done:

Pour water over the lamb and bring to a boil.
Drain the water.
Repeat 3-4 times. The smell should go away along with the water.

Advice! You can notice fatty patches on the ram. They are the ones who create the scent that not all housewives like. Cut these parts off and there will be virtually no smell left.

The smell of goat is also not for everyone. Soaking it in a solution of potassium permanganate (the method described above) will eliminate it. Another option is vinegar. Prepare the solution, immerse it or simply pour it over the goat meat pieces.

Why does meat have a “smell”?

The loss of the natural aroma of meat products occurs in several cases. “Smell” appears due to spoiled products lying next to the meat, as well as due to improper feeding and slaughter of the animal.

Storing in plastic bags leads to a lack of oxygen, causing the meat to “suffocate.”

Pieces of flesh from an uncastrated boar or ram initially have a distinctive odor, but this does not mean that they are unsuitable for consumption.

You just need to soak the product in a marinade or roll it in herbs.

If chicken has an unpleasant sour aroma, and mucus is noticed on its surface, it is necessary to cut off the skin emitting the smell with a knife. If the stench cannot be eliminated, then eating meat is strictly prohibited.

The problem is storage in cellophane

Polyethylene bags contain recycled cellulose, which gives products a strong “chemical” smell.

Beef in cellophane is saturated with the odors of other food products in the refrigerator

It is not recommended to store lamb, beef and pork in cellophane because the product begins to become damp and moldy. Before you put the meat in a plastic bag, you need to wrap it in thin paper.

Beef in cellophane is saturated with the odors of other food products in the refrigerator.

To eliminate extraneous aromas, you should use these tips for soaking meat:

Soak any meat in a mixture made from salt and birch charcoal for 3-4 hours. After this procedure, the unpleasant “smell” will disappear.
Rub the beef with spicy spices (basil, oregano, cardamom) and leave for 60 minutes.
Soak chicken in lemon juice or chamomile decoction (add 1 tbsp dried flowers to 1 liter of water).

Boar meat - a task on the edge of the possible

The best way to prevent such a disaster is to choose your meat more carefully. It is enough to fry a slice of lard with a lighter, and the truth about the state of the product on the market becomes absolutely clear.

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If you are unlucky and the problem is already in the refrigerator or on the cutting table, the only way to get rid of the smell is to soak the meat in milk for 10-12 hours, changing it every 2 hours for fresh milk. The meat should be cut into thin slices, without fat. In principle, there cannot be too many spices when cooking. And even in this case, a strange shade of aroma and taste may remain.

The most reasonable and effective way to avoid the problem of a pleasant smell is prevention. You need to buy fresh meat of even color, elastic, with a pleasant smell. Store in the freezer or refrigerator wrapped in parchment or paper towel soaked in salted water. Your loved ones will be grateful for the tasty and aromatic dish. The decoration of the table will be a nutritious, healthy and attractive product in every sense - meat.