Pork is a popular dish in many Vietnamese families. However, not everyone knows how to choose fresh, high-quality, and hygienic pork.
To avoid buying low-quality pork, you should stay away from meat with the following four signs:

Pork with a dark color and blood on the surface

According to Nguoi Dua Tin, many housewives believe that pork with a few bloodstains on the surface is fresh and has just been slaughtered. In reality, that’s not the case. During slaughter, these bloodstains are usually cleaned. If you see pork with blood smeared on, it may be old meat—some dishonest sellers even add blood to trick customers. When cut, such pork often looks dark, tastes unpleasant, and may cause illness.

Good-quality pork, on the other hand, should have a light pink to dark red color with no foul smell. When cut lengthwise, the inside should appear dry, with firm muscle fibers, soft skin, white to ivory-colored fat, and no rancid odor.

---

Pork that looks watery

Watery pork may have been injected or soaked with water to increase its weight. If you notice liquid seeping from the meat and the seller frequently wipes it with a cloth, that’s a clear sign of water-injected pork. Avoid such pieces at all costs.

---

Pork with no elasticity

Fresh pork is highly elastic. When buying, press a finger into the meat—if the dent quickly disappears, it’s fresh. The muscle fibers should look firm, even, not mushy, and without slimy discharge.

If the dent remains after pressing, it could be frozen pork that has been thawed for resale, which explains the lack of elasticity. Spoiled pork can also show this condition.

---

Pork that feels slimy to the touch

Fresh pork should feel pliable and slightly sticky. In contrast, pork left out too long becomes slimy, sticky, and develops a foul odor due to bacterial contamination.

---

Signs of contaminated or diseased pork

In addition to bad odor, lack of elasticity, and abnormal texture, low-quality pork often has unusual colors or marks:

• Pork with swine fever: Skin shows bruises or tiny hemorrhages.

• Pork with pasteurellosis: Large bruised or clotted blood spots.

• Pork with tapeworm infection: Small white cysts (larvae) that look like glutinous rice grains on the meat.

• Pork soaked in borax or coloring: Mushy, watery, with an unnatural smell. When washed, the meat fades in color and gives off a fishy odor.

• Pork with cholera: Small hemorrhages under the skin or around the ears, resembling mosquito bites.

• Pork with hepatitis: Meat appears yellow.

---

⚠️ Keep in mind that even good-quality pork can spoil or cause food poisoning if not stored properly after purchase.

To preserve pork freshness, wrap it carefully and store it in the refrigerator. Keep it away from cooked or ready-to-eat foods (like vegetables and fruits).

• If not cooking immediately, freeze the pork.

• If you plan to cook soon, refrigerate in the cooler compartment to save defrosting time.