Introduction
Due to rising meat consumption and decreasing farmland supply, creating alternate protein sources is pressing. According to Van Huis (2015), food security occurs when all populations have physical, societal, and financial access to adequate, secure, and healthier meals to suit their dietary requirements for an active lifestyle at all times. Globally, meat consumption is anticipated to rise by 76% between 2005/2007 and 2050 (Van Huis, 2015). Therefore, alternate protein supplements, such as duckweed, seaweed, and cultured meat and insects, would represent a dietary adjustment. This paper aims to critically analyze the various sources of meat and their biochemical compositions. Additionally, the essay highlights the advantages and limitations of edible insects as a source of protein.
Sources of Meat and Their Basic Composition
The various sources of meat, as discussed herein, including beef, fish, pork, and poultry. Beef is the flesh of cattle, Bos taurus, and is classified as red meat. It refers to mammalian meat that contains more iron than fish or chicken (Michael et al., 2019). Beef is mostly protein with various quantities of fat. Animal protein is often of excellent quality, including all nine necessary amino acids required for proper bodily development and enhancement. Beef includes a range of fats, generally known as beef tallow. Water, protein, fat, and ash are the four primary elements of fish’s edible parts. Liquids serve as a conduit for the movement of nutrients and molecules, with water constituting the majority of these fluids. Lipids are mostly composed of triacylglycerol and phosphoglycerides in fish muscle, both of which include nonesterified fatty acids (Kiczorowska et al., 2019). Protein is the second most prevalent element in fish myocytes, often ranging between 16 and 18% (Kiczorowska et al., 2019). The eating patterns and reproductive cycle affect the protein content of fish tissues.
Pork is the household pig’s (Sus domesticus) meat, and just like all meat, pork is primarily composed of protein. When dry, lean pork has a protein concentration of up to 89%, making it one of the most protein-dense foods available (Adamczak et al., 2018). Like other classifications of red meat, pork is mainly comprised of saturated and unsaturated fats in roughly equal proportions, thus an important protein source.
The bulk composition of poultry flesh comprises copper, fat, water, iron, phosphorus, protein, and other nutrients necessary for proper digestion. Cooked poultry flesh contains between 25% and 30% protein, contingent on the section of the carcasses and the cooking process (Gumułka & Połtowicz, 2020). Poultry flesh is very protein-dense and is often recognized as a substantial source of high-quality protein and has more protein than red meat.
Examples of Other Sources of Meat
Venison
Other illustrations of where meat can be obtained include venison and chicken. Venison is a phrase that relates to deer meat, which is a type of red meat. Venison is an excellent source of zinc and includes trace levels of the majority of other micronutrients. This meat is a high-protein meal with a reduced fat and calorie content and B vitamins (Nagy et al., 2019). Venison meat is derived from mammals that can graze naturally in their native habitat. Chicken contains high-value proteins, including all nine necessary amino acids present in animal-derived foods. Without the covering, chicken is one of the leanest meats, particularly the breast, with a fat level of roughly 2% (Chmiel et al., 2019). In addition, chicken flesh contains vitamins majorly from the B complex, including niacin (Chmiel et al., 2019). These vitamins are essential for the body’s sugar and fat processing, including the well-being of cells.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Insects as a Protein Source
The nutritional benefits of insects vary according to food, growth level, gender, breed, habitat of existence, and assessment techniques. On average, edible insects have 35%–60% protein by dry weight or 10%–25% protein by fresh weight, greater than plant protein sources such as wheat, soybeans, and lentils (Kim et al., 2019). Insects supply more protein than meat and chicken eggs at the top end. Orthoptera edible insects, such as crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts, are highly protein-dense.
Additionally, societies that eat insects tend to link them with a variety of health advantages in addition to their nutritional value. For instance, caterpillar fungus possesses immunostimulatory and anticancer effects (Kim et al., 2019). Numerous investigations of insect enzymatic hydrolysates have shown that they possess antioxidant and anti-diabetic characteristics, as well as the potential to suppress angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) (Kim et al., 2019). Therefore, the medicinal importance of insects cannot be underestimated: thus, more research should be undertaken to uncover other clinical values fully.
While insects are ingested in many regions of the world, this does not exclude them from causing allergic reactions. Their eating should be examined by those sensitive to crustaceans since some research indicates that insects may induce similar anaphylactic reactions (Liceaga, 2021). In animal species, insects and crustaceans are classified as arthropods. Additionally, certain species of ants and bees carry poisons that may be lethal when consumed. Liceaga (2021) enumerated that the metabolic steroid content of specific beetle species is harmful to human health. As such, their excessive intake might result in health problems. There is a minor elevated risk of lead or arsenic contamination when insects are consumed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, entomophagy may hold the key to resolving the world’s growing food security crisis. For example, insects have more protein than meat and chicken eggs, making them healthier. However, despite their therapeutic and nutritional advantages, excessive consumption of some species may cause health concerns since several species possess poison that is fatal when eaten. Therefore, due to the enormous health benefits associated with the consumption of insects, nations must adopt insect farming to provide an alternative source of proteins for their citizens.
References
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