Found some strange particles while trying to cook sheep liver
Question
Dear Sirs,
I am not a microbiologist. I found these strange cells or organisms while washing a sheep liver I am trying to cook. Any information with regards to this observation? Can the liver be eaten after cooking on high temperature stove?
Thanks for your information and I await your educative responses.
Nazir M. Tukur
Answer ( 1 )
A cautious interpretation
From the photo alone it is very hard to be sure but the round whitish particles look more like parasitic cysts or eggs than bacteria. Many helminths that infect sheep form tissue cysts in the liver and they can stay visible after the animal is slaughtered.
Can cooking make it safe
High heat will inactivate most parasites and bacteria provided the core of the liver reaches at least 70°C for a couple of minutes. That said the toxins or allergic reactions some parasites trigger are not always destroyed by cooking, and the idea of eating them can be unpleasant to many people.
Practical advice
If you bought the liver from a trusted butcher and it passed veterinary inspection it is probably fine once fully cooked. If the origin is uncertain or the cysts are numerous I would personally discard it. No meal is worth a possible bout of food poisoning.
When in doubt
You could take a small sample to a local veterinary laboratory for identification, they can tell in a day whether it is a parasite or just a harmless fat globule. Until then keep the liver refrigerated and separated from other food.
Disclaimer
This is general information, not a professional medical or veterinary diagnosis. When ever you are unsure about food safety the safest option is to throw it out.