7/27/2019 HowStuffWorks _If I Kill an Animal, Can I Eat It Raw_

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If I kill an animal, can I eat it raw?by Cristen Conger

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Image Gallery: Grilling Steak, Step-by-StepRare, but not raw. Even in

the w ilderness, you should cook the meat you kill. See m ore steakgrilling pictures.Bjorn Wiklander/Getty Images

Stranded in the wilderness for days, your stomach audibly groans from hunger. Foraging on

plants or berries isn't an option because you don't know what's safe to eat. Instead, you

hunt.

Drawing on your dwindling energy, you manage to kill a rabbit. Now, the only thing that

matters is getting that s ustenance into your body fast. Building a fireand cooking could

take more than an hour, so you contemplate eating it raw. What's the harm?

Not so fast. Sure -- in the wilderness, some normal rules of civilization don't apply. But

when it comes to meat, you need heat. If you want to maximize your chance of survival, the

U.S. Armed ForcesSurvivalGuide recommends cooking all wild game and freshwater fishbecause of the threat of bacteria or parasites.

Bacteria thrive and multiply between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (4 and 60 degrees

Celsius). That's why you should cook meat until the internal temperature measures at least

150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Celsius) to effectively break down the bacteria cells

and prevent them from reproducing [source: USDA].

You're probably thinking: If that's true, then how have Eskimosand other indigenous groups

survived eating raw fish meat over the years? And what about eating raw fish in dishes such

as sushi?

The difference is the salt waterand the temperature of the meat. Saltwater fish are safer to

eat raw because the water actually helps to kill parasites and bacteria. The saltin the water

creates a hypertonic solution, where a higher concentration of salute (salt) exists outside

of the bacteria cells than inside those cells. To correct that imbalance, the bacteria cells

release their water content through osmosis. When they lose that water, they shrivel up and die. In addition, when Eskimos eat raw whale and seal meat fresh, it

hasn't had time to breed more bacteria.

Cold temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) also stop bacteria reproduction. Sushi-grade fish, called sashimi, that people commonly eat

raw has been frozen before use to help destroy any remaining bacteria. In case of any lingering invaders, food safety guides do recommend heating all saltwater fish

to more than 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius).

Are these cooking precautions merely empty threats? Next up, we'll take the microscope to the meat and see what potential dangers exist .

Image Gallery: Grilling Steak, Step-by-Step

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Patricio Jose Hortelano Najeal Top Comm enter Monsters University

I found a minor mistake in your article, instead of solu te, you sp elled s alute, although it is

understandable that the se ntence implies solute, I just thought I'd let you guys know.

Reply Like September 3, 2013 at 2:52am

Trey Wayne Williamson History Teacher at Midland ISD

This person obviously doesn't know about rabbit starvation.

Reply Like April 9, 2012 at 2:57pm2

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