A stool culture is done to: 1  Find the cause of symptoms. 2  Find and identify certain types of organisms that are causing infections or diseases. 3  Identify a person who may not have any symptoms of disease but who carries bacteria that can spread infection to others. 4  Find out if treatment for an infection has worked as it should.
Meat may stay in the intestines for 24-72 hours and still depend on its type. Likewise, red meat in particular takes 1-3 days to complete the digestion process because of fat content and high protein, according to Lisa Cicciarello Andrews of University of Cincinnati.
According to the Mayo Clinic (Digestion: How long does it take?), it would take 6 to 8 hours for basic digestion (i.e. through stomach and small intestine), and then another 40 hours on average to get through the colon (33 hours for men, 47 hours for women).