# Hog Meat Testing



## ratimux (Nov 6, 2009)

I am new to hog hunting, but I know that hogs can carry different diseases that can pass to humans.

I found out that we have to be careful and have rubber gloves on when skinning the pig, but what do we do after that...

Is there a place where I can go and have the meat tested for diseases?

Any other suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks


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## johnf (Nov 6, 2009)

even a domestic hog could carry disease. some recomend freezin the meat before cooking. but the main thing is cookin it thoroughly before eatin it. then your good to go.


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## REDMOND1858 (Nov 6, 2009)

I just eat it. I know ALOT of folks who have ate wild hog and cant name the first person who has gotten any diseases.


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## WolfPack (Nov 6, 2009)

Just wear gloves when gutting and skinning, the just cook the meat properly...to 170 internal temp.  I prefer wild pork over store pork.


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## Doyle (Nov 6, 2009)

What they said.  The danger in wild hogs is what is on the outside.  Once you have processed the meat and then properly cook it, the problem is gone.


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## ratimux (Nov 9, 2009)

Thank you for all your replies!

I totally get the cooking thing, but the wife is so scared of trichinosis that she really wants me to test the meat before she even touches it. 

Any tips of where I should go test it?

Thanks


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## jkp (Nov 9, 2009)

Over your way try to find a biology student or someone at a college they may be able to help, but other than that I cant think of any other place that would even offer.
J


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## 7MAGMIKE (Nov 9, 2009)

From Wikipedia:   Trichinosis, also called trichinellosis, or trichiniasis, is a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork and wild game infected with the larvae of a species of roundworm Trichinella spiralis, commonly called the trichina worm. There are eight Trichinella species; five species are encapsulated and three are non-encapsulated. [1] Only three Trichinella species are known to cause Trichinosis: T. spiralis, T. nativa, and T. britovi. [1] The few cases in the United States are mostly the result of eating undercooked game, bear meat, or home reared pigs. It is more common in developing countries where meat fed to pigs is raw or undercooked.  Just cook it good tell her the truth, she can get trichinosis from store bought meat too.


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## Cadcom (Nov 9, 2009)

Just don't tell her she's eating medium rare larvae. Cooking doesn't remove em.... it just cooks em grave yard dead! 

Now hand me another rib.


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## fishndinty (Nov 11, 2009)

Yup...there is no very simple way to test for those parasites. Many wild game animals have them, as well as domestic pigs and chicken   Does she test every chicken breast from the store for parasites too?

Just cook the meat to 160; it will come up to 170 after that on its own, and you will have tender, wonderful meat that beats store pork hands down.


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## bfriendly (Nov 11, 2009)

My wife does not want to touch it either!  Not because of any disease, but she cannot get past seeing it hang from a tree in the yard

I will eat a Pig I KILLED over any store bought pork!!  Store bought pork is just as, maybe even more dangerous. You do NOT KNOW what was done to it(not a fact-JMHO)!  Save me some ribs too!!


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## Delane01 (Nov 23, 2009)

Chickens do not carry the tricinae parasite. Fully cook the meat and this will kill the parasite. There is no need to test the meat because it is common in all hogs. She isn't concerned with tubercollosis or erysyphyllis? These are also diseases common to hogs and cattle. Unless you know how to inspect the glands in the hogs head you will never know if it has tubercollosis or not. However you can detect erysyphyllis. This is commonly called diamond skin. If you see diamond shaped (like baseball diamond) on the hog do not eat it. USDA condemns all diamond skin hogs.

How do I know? I am a retired USDA food inspector and have inspected 1000's of hogs.


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## hound1973 (Nov 23, 2009)

All you have to worry about like it was said in a couple of other posts is make sure you wear rubber gloves when field dressing and skinning and quartering up the hogs.  What you have to worry about is in the hogs blood, if the hog is infected, which is transferred to humans through the hogs blood comimng in contact with human skin.  So long as you cook the hog thouroughly, theres nothing at all to worry about.  I eat wild hog 3-4 times a week and deer the other 3-4 times a week, haven't bought meat in the store in over 3 months, ate over 23 hogs this year in the last 4 months and never had any problem, in fact my blood pressure and cholestorol droped a lot since eating nothing but wild hog and deer for meat.  JUST WEAR RUBBER GLOVES TO PREVENT THE BLOOD FROM GETTING ON YOU AND ALL WILL BE OK, THEN JUST ENJOY THE TASTY WILD PIGGIES!!!!!!!!


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## GrouseHiker (Nov 28, 2009)

Diamond skin disease - interesting.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/htm/bc/gense902.htm


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