Avoid keeping meat in fridge

People should avoid keeping meat in refrigerators for over 10 days as such a practice destroys the proteins and affects its hygiene, which could cause food poisoning and gastrointestinal complications, a Pakistani health expert has warned. "Always use fresh and healthy meat to stay away from gastrointestinal diseases because such complications even may lead to malfunctioning of liver, kidneys and brain," Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Gastrologist Waseem Khawaja told the Associated Press of Pakistan. Khawaja said major reasons for gastrointestinal diseases were consumption of unhealthy meat and improperly cooked food as bacteria flourish rapidly in such meat. Liver diseases could cause hepatitis and liver disorder, which are fatal at an advanced stage, said Khawaja. He said meat of sick animals hardly carry any proteins and vitamins. Use of such meat is a source of disease in human beings. Such meat could also cause "botulism" -- a disease in which intestines are paralysed and causes diarrhoea in children that could ultimately lead to death. He called on people not to eat food regularly from hotels, stalls and open places.