At A Supermarket Near You - Fetid, Rancid, Rotten Meat

[SundayAfternoon]

I know a lot of us living here eat out at lot, but I love cooking, and so I regularly buy ingredients from my local supermarkets to bring home and cook. The supermarkets (some more than others) charge much higher prices than the market, so you'd think that you'd get better produce... but you'd be wrong. I've been pretty disgusted recently at what I'm finding in the supermarket meat aisles (and it's not just ONE, it's all of them) here in Chiang Mai.

I bought a packet of Canadian bacon from Rimping MeeChok that was on 'special' - got it home, and it smelled RANK! Tottally OFF!

An organic Australian grass-fed steak from TOPS - ditto. The stench as soon as I openend the bag!

Someone told me to try Macro, as it has good meat and that's where the Thai's shop... but I went there a weeks ago, and as I picked out some chicken breasts from a large, open tray of them. I got 4 or 5 into the plastic bag, and for some reason I decided to do the 'sniff test' and, URH! OFF! Badly off!!! So I didn't buy those, obsviously! And left the supermarket wanting to gag...

I'm really put off by these experiences and I'm at a loss as to where to shop for high-quality meat.

I suspect it's a combination of low turn-over and lack of quality control. Store owners obviously don't want to throw stuff away, cause it hurts their profits, so they never remove anything from the shelves, and fresh meat doesn't have a sell-by-date on it. Discounted producewith a slightly lower 'sale' ticket on it, is already WELL PAST is sell-by-date.

I now always look carefully at the colour, and do the 'sniff test'. I've also been avoiding the fresh meat and buying frozen, but even that isn't immune to the rancid smell...

Two days ago in Rimping Airport branch and the rotten odour around the frozen meat section was horrendous! I wasn't the only one smelling it either, so it isn't 'just me'.

I've looked at the meat in the 'wet' market several times, as I'm sure the meat there is fresher and probably has a higher turnover. And I know that's what I'd probably eat at a restaurant. But I just can't get past the flies crawling all over everything. Kinda puts me off.

I know Thailand has had several meat 'issues' including the sale of rotten chicken treated with formalin for sale in Nakhon Ratchasima, but this is almost like the final straw... I'm thinking of becoming vegetarian if I can't find a reliable source of high-quality meat.

[dazk]

never had problems with meat here in pattaya maybe they have a higher turn over, i know in makro they refill the meat bins several times a day

[londoedan]

I'm thinking of becoming vegetarian if I can't find a reliable source of high-quality meat.

Go for it - you won't regret it - the range of vegetables, tahu and soya products, beans etc that you can get hold of here will more than make-up for the lack of meat - plus you'll be eating and living, healthier and cheaper - you can always eat small amounts of meat when you elect to eat out in the Thai style stir-fries etc..

[robblok]

I also never had problems, but in general i dont go for the higher end meat. Just normal meat from big c / foodland / makro ect.

[Jingthing]

I have definitely been sold rotten meat at most Pattaya large supermarkets, except Foodmart and Foodland. I can't mention the names of the markets but you can guess. It is very annoying indeed.

[Mosha]

Not just meat. Tesco Lotus in Ranong regularly has potatoes with lots, of green in them.

[Jingthing]

With vegetables you can examine them. I usually buy meat packaged in plastic or packaged by a worker behind a counter. If I bought rotten meat that was open that I had a chance to smell myself I wouldn't blame the market so much. I buy mostly chicken actually. Anything I buy gets cooked the same day!

Edited October 4, 2012 by Jingthing

[rattler]

I'm thinking of becoming vegetarian if I can't find a reliable source of high-quality meat.

Go for it - you won't regret it - the range of vegetables, tahu and soya products, beans etc that you can get hold of here will more than make-up for the lack of meat - plus you'll be eating and living, healthier and cheaper - you can always eat small amounts of meat when you elect to eat out in the Thai style stir-fries etc..

Be careful though a lot of food poisoning is caused by salad and fruit also.

Edited October 4, 2012 by rattler

[Naam]

I'm thinking of becoming vegetarian if I can't find a reliable source of high-quality meat.

Go for it - you won't regret it - the range of vegetables, tahu and soya products, beans etc that you can get hold of here will more than make-up for the lack of meat - plus you'll be eating and living, healthier and cheaper - you can always eat small amounts of meat when you elect to eat out in the Thai style stir-fries etc..

no thank you!

[trainman34014]

I'm thinking of becoming vegetarian if I can't find a reliable source of high-quality meat.

Go for it - you won't regret it - the range of vegetables, tahu and soya products, beans etc that you can get hold of here will more than make-up for the lack of meat - plus you'll be eating and living, healthier and cheaper - you can always eat small amounts of meat when you elect to eat out in the Thai style stir-fries etc..

Yeah; go ahead and eat all those heavily sprayed vegetables and live a fit and healthy life style !

[pattayadingo]

I too have never bought any meat that was off never mind meat that smells rancid.

Plenty of places do seem to have potatoes that have green in them and they are really only fit for pig food.

[evadgib]

Wifey recently brought some reduced salmon but it was clear by the smell as soon as we got into the car that it was off/had been re frozen (Tescos).

A week or so later we purchased a cooked chicken but they (Big C) had wrapped it in cling film while still warm therefore I had a mouth like a comodo dragon 4hrs after purchase when I took a bite!

[Semper]

I'm thinking of becoming vegetarian if I can't find a reliable source of high-quality meat.

Go for it - you won't regret it - the range of vegetables, tahu and soya products, beans etc that you can get hold of here will more than make-up for the lack of meat - plus you'll be eating and living, healthier and cheaper - you can always eat small amounts of meat when you elect to eat out in the Thai style stir-fries etc..

Have you read the "pesticides" topic in the news forum?

[londoedan]

No but . . . . . .

Maybe one of the best songs, by one of the worlds best bands - even the cover is FAB !

Edited October 4, 2012 by londoedan

[Semper]

No but . . . . . .

Maybe one of the best songs, by one of the worlds best bands.

Never heard of them.

Here's the link: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/587524-dangerous-levels-of-pesticides-will-poison-thailands-food-plan/

Edited October 4, 2012 by Semper

[harryfrompattaya]

Could be your noise stop smelling meat from Supermarkets I think you may have Fetish. I do love to smell my wife of 13 years.

[Baloo22]

When I lived in Jomtien, I purchased skinless chicken breast from the Jomtien Foodmart all the time. Never had any of it bad. Not once. I know a number of people on this board don't like Jomtien Foodmart but I have never had any spoiled/rotten food from there. Meat, dairy products or anything else. Always been treated well there by their staff also.

[samran]

I'm thinking of becoming vegetarian if I can't find a reliable source of high-quality meat.

Go for it - you won't regret it - the range of vegetables, tahu and soya products, beans etc that you can get hold of here will more than make-up for the lack of meat - plus you'll be eating and living, healthier and cheaper - you can always eat small amounts of meat when you elect to eat out in the Thai style stir-fries etc..

A few years back, I managed to get a live green tree frog in one of those fresh stir-fry packs that you get from the supermarkets.

I couldn't complain about the freshness of the food then!

[samran]

No but . . . . . .

Maybe one of the best songs, by one of the worlds best bands - even the cover is FAB !

but lordy is it tasty....

[barefoot1988]

im in cm too. my stuff are from tops near mercure, makro superhighway and rimping nim city. never had issues with rimping and tops but generally i try to avoid special deals and meats in open tray as people like you are sniffing them.

try tanin market, there are no flies no nothing in the meat area.

there are a handful of good butchers like northern farm, sausage kings, pong yang kam etc etc

i have not much issues finding decent meat

[uptheos]

A lot of people like Rimping in Chiang Mai because it is overpriced for most things. In their eyes overpriced = quality. Some western things are OK at Rimping but for produce, forget it!

[Shot]

For the same reasons as the OP, I no longer shop at one of the Big Chain stores.

[Jingthing]

When I lived in Jomtien, I purchased skinless chicken breast from the Jomtien Foodmart all the time. Never had any of it bad. Not once. I know a number of people on this board don't like Jomtien Foodmart but I have never had any spoiled/rotten food from there. Meat, dairy products or anything else. Always been treated well there by their staff also.

I agree. So far I have not been burned with rotten meat there. Their prices are somewhat higher but if it's rotten, it ain't worth one satang.

Some other more famous markets in town, sorry, yes, have been burned, and not one offs either.

Edited October 4, 2012 by Jingthing

[BabyJebus]

Just make sure the meat you buy is sealed. The best quality meat is the ones that was sealed at production or out of the country and never opened/resealed. Buy a whole Striploin/ribeye/tenderloin and cut it yourself. Vacuum seal it back yourself with a small machine(quite cheap)

Or i believe Don's food is a forum sponsor, you can google him hes up in chiang mai making high quality american meat at good prices. He can ship anywhere.

[arthurwait]

I've think you've answered your own questions. Low turnover usually means it sits out the fridge on trays for a long time. Markets can be high but they can also be slow and you don't know if what you buy has been sitting outside in the heat for 1 hour or 3 days if it hasn't been sold.

ops have a limited customer base, especially outside of Bangkok and it shows if you check the dates on imported dry goods on the shelves.

I've only had to throw meat about 5 times after getting it home and out to cook from anywhere. Dodgy looking chicken from esco and from the market and on a 3 occasions pork mince from akro. That's the other problem, buying mince. When asked what cut they use for the mince the worker said everything. I think I can translate that.

[ThaidDown]

I'm thinking of becoming vegetarian if I can't find a reliable source of high-quality meat.

Go for it - you won't regret it - the range of vegetables, tahu and soya products, beans etc that you can get hold of here will more than make-up for the lack of meat - plus you'll be eating and living, healthier and cheaper - you can always eat small amounts of meat when you elect to eat out in the Thai style stir-fries etc..

Agree, vegetarian food is great but imho can usually be improved by the addition of a good pork chop.

[The Snark]

Most of the butchering is done in Bangkok. As a rule, the meat is not shipped refrigerated. The farther from Bangkok and depending on the company's logistics, meats can go unrefrigerated for several days before finding their way into a refrigerated case at the market. This is a plain fact and a fact of life in Thailand. "Reefer' trucks are very few and far between and refrigerated shipping is only now becoming commonly used. If you doubt this, to out and watch the trucks on the highway. Seeing a refer truck on the Bangkok to Chiang Mai road is an extremely rare occurance.

[uptheos]

I'm thinking of becoming vegetarian if I can't find a reliable source of high-quality meat.

Go for it - you won't regret it - the range of vegetables, tahu and soya products, beans etc that you can get hold of here will more than make-up for the lack of meat - plus you'll be eating and living, healthier and cheaper - you can always eat small amounts of meat when you elect to eat out in the Thai style stir-fries etc..

Agree, vegetarian food is great but imho can usually be improved by the addition of a good pork chop.

Is a pigs ass pork? smells fowel.

[SundayAfternoon]

i try to avoid special deals and meats in open tray as people like you are sniffing them.

Are you suggesting that people like me 'sniffing' is causeing the meat to be even worse than 'off'? IF it is, then you're welcome to it! And, for what it's worth, I already had it in a plastic bag before I sniffed, so it wasn't like I was putting my nose into the open tray!

Could be your noise stop smelling meat from Supermarkets I think you may have Fetish. I do love to smell my wife of 13 years.

And harryfrompattaya, I'm worried for you...

Most of the butchering is done in Bangkok. As a rule, the meat is not shipped refrigerated. The farther from Bangkok and depending on the company's logistics, meats can go unrefrigerated for several days before finding their way into a refrigerated case at the market. This is a plain fact and a fact of life in Thailand. "Reefer' trucks are very few and far between and refrigerated shipping is only now becoming commonly used. If you doubt this, to out and watch the trucks on the highway. Seeing a refer truck on the Bangkok to Chiang Mai road is an extremely rare occurance.

I didn't realise this was where supermarket meat in CM came from. It's pretty disconcerting, to say the least. unrefrigerated!!!

[Semper]

If you doubt this, to out and watch the trucks on the highway. Seeing a refer truck on the Bangkok to Chiang Mai road is an extremely rare occurance.

Like trainspotting?