Picture this: you walk into a warm, bustling hotel in Srinagar on a cold evening. The aroma of kebabs, chicken tikka biryani and rogan josh fills the air. The waiter smiles, the food arrives sizzling and you dig in without a second thought. But have you ever paused to wonder is this meat fresh? Or has it been lying in a freezer for months before it reached your plate?

For many of us in Kashmir, the answer would be uncomfortable. We are eating frozen and often stale meat without even realising it. Some of it comes from far-off cities, stored for months before being shipped here. By the time it’s served, the only thing keeping it appetising is a heavy coat of spices, onions, and oil.
Our Own Traditions Feeding the Problem: It’s not just the hotels. At weddings, leftover wazwan is often packed into large containers, frozen, and brought out again months later. Qurbani meat, too, is stored in freezers for long stretches. We tell ourselves it’s practical but in reality, we are eating food that has lost much of its freshness and, in some cases, its safety.
What’s Really Hiding in Frozen Meat: Freezing meat isn’t automatically harmful, but the way it’s done matters. In many cases, the meat is thawed and refrozen repeatedly, stored in unhygienic conditions, or kept far beyond safe limits. This can turn it into a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and parasites like: Salmonellosis causes severe stomach cramps and fever.
Listeriosis, dangerous for pregnant women and newborns. Trichinelosis, a parasite infection from undercooked meat. Toxoplasmosis,harmful for people with weak immunity.
But bacteria are not the only danger. To keep the meat looking “fresh” for months, many suppliers and sellers use chemical preservative like Nitrates & Nitrites –May form cancer-causing nitrosamines inside the body, linked to colorectal and stomach cancers. Sulfites, can trigger severe allergic reactions, breathing difficulties, and headaches in sensitive individuals.
Benzoates, potentially harmful to fetal brain development in pregnant women and may cause allergic rashes. BHA & BHT Artificial antioxidants added to prevent fats from going rancid; suspected in some studies to disrupt hormones and increase cancer risk at high doses.
The Impact We Don’t See is that Every day, our hospitals see people with food poisoning, gastric disorders, liver problems, and other health issues linked to what they eat. But the connection between that frozen meat in a wedding trami or hotel curry and a hospital bed is often overlooked.
This problem is not someone else’s to solve it’s ours. If we keep eating whatever is served without asking questions, nothing will change. Here’s what we can do: Ask where the meat comes from and when it was slaughtered. Say no to suspiciously “soft” or “rubbery” meat that may have been frozen for long. Avoid storing meat for months in our own homes. Use natural methods for short-term preservation instead of chemicals.
Fresh food is more than taste its health, safety, and dignity. By making conscious choices, we protect not just ourselves, but our families and community. The next time you take that first bite, pause for a moment. Ask the question we so often avoid Is this fresh? Because the answer could mean the difference between a healthy meal and a slow poison.

Email:---------------------------tawheed.biotech12@gmail.com