CONCEPT OF RED MEAT & WHITE MEAT
Post no 1343 Dt 30th july 2019
Compiled & shared by- DR. RAJESH KUMAR SINGH, JAMSHEDPUR
Animals have the same biochemistry as those of human beings and they are full of necessary proteins and amino acids that every human requires for his/her basic metabolism. Eating of meats has been prevalent since the time of cavemen and till date domestication of various animals around the world is done for the same reasons.
The only disadvantage is that we are exceeding the limits of our protein intake by consuming animal products in a far greater quantity than we actually should. This brings along problems of saturated fats and choles¬terol, which subsequently lead to heart disease.
Chemical Characteristics:
The chemical characteristics consist of water, protein, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. Apart from these components, meats also have a pigment called myoglobin. It is this pigment which is responsible for the colour in the meats. Pork and lamb have lesser amount of myoglobin and hence the meat is pink in colour, whereas beef has fairly higher amounts of this pigment leading to dark purplish colour of the meat. Beef turns bright red after cutting because of the reaction of the myoglobin with oxygen.
Classification of Meats:
Before we get into the classification of the meats, let us first understand the nomenclature of these meat products. To a layman, words such as, mutton, lamb, heifer, veal, etc. would seem like something to do with meats, but they would not know what exactly each one would mean. These names of the meats are given to the specific meat that comes from a specific animal.
The term beef for instance, refers to the meat from cattle which are over nine months old; all the other cattle which range between three to nine months are classified as calf and the meat from cattle between one month and three months would be known as ‘veal’.
Meat is broadly classified into the following three types:
i. Bovines Ox, cow, buffalo, bison, etc.
ii. Ovines Sheep, lamb, goat, deer, etc.
iii. Swines Pigs, wild boar, etc.
All animals in these categories differ from each other in size and shape and hence, even taste different from each other. For example, the taste of buffalo from that of cow would be very different and so on.
There are basically two types of meat: dark and white.
Red, or dark meat is made up of muscles with fibers that are calledslow-twitch.These muscles are used for extended periods of activity, such as standing or walking, and need a consistent energy source. The proteinmyoglobin stores oxygen in muscle cells, which use oxygen to extract the energy needed for constant activity. Myoglobin is a richly pigmented protein. The more myoglobin there is in the cells, the redder, or darker, the meat.
When dark meat is cooked, myoglobin’s color changes depending on what the meat’s interior temperature is. Rare beef is cooked to 140° F, and myoglobin’s red color remains unchanged. Above 140° F, myoglobin loses its ability to bind oxygen, and the iron atom at the center of its molecular structure loses an electron. This process forms a tan-colored compound called hemichrome, which gives medium-done meat its color. When the interior of the meat reaches 170° F, hemichrome levels rise, and the myoglobin becomes metmyoglobin, which gives well-done meat its brown-gray shade.
White meat is made up of muscles with fibers that are called fast-twitch.Fast-twitch muscles are used for quick bursts of activity, such as fleeing from danger. These muscles get energy from glycogen, which is also stored in the muscles.
White meat has a translucent “glassy” quality when it is raw. When it’s cooked, the proteins denature and recombine, or coagulate, and the meat becomes opaque and whitish.
Cows and pigs are both sources of dark meat, though pig is often called “the other white meat.” Pigs’ muscles do contain myoglobin, but the concentration is not as heavy as it is in beef. Chickens have a mixture of both dark and white meat, and fish is mainly white meat.
Red Meat And White Meat:
What Is The Difference And Which One Is Better?
Meat is rich in high-quality protein that is the standard source for human consumption. Read here to know the difference between red meat and white meat and how the two are beneficial for you.
Your meal is incomplete without protein, and animal meat is rich in high-quality protein that is the standard source for human consumption. Meat also induces various vitamins like Vitamin-A, B, D, B-6, sodium, potassium, and fats that are beneficial for the body. It is essential for you to recognize different types of meat as a source of protein. Each type of meat has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. However, where many people get confused is what to opt for: red meat or white meat?
You get red meats from adult or gamey mammals like beef, horse, and goat. These are red in color when raw and turns dark when you cook them. Red meats have more myoglobin than any other meats. Myoglobin is the cell which transports oxygen to muscles in the bloodstream. Most of you misapprehend benefits of red meats for all the cholesterol, high protein, and saturated fat content.
Apart from high protein, red meats also have other health benefits and here are some of them:
1. Rich in B Vitamins
Red meat is a well-known source for the presence of multiple B vitamins. Consuming foods with naturally occurring B vitamins is necessary because it helps to promote a strong and healthy body. Red meat comprises B-12 which supports a healthy nervous system and B-6 for a powerful immune system. Red meat also contains niacin, another B vitamin aids in digestion. It also contains riboflavin, which good for skin and eyes.
2. Provides Iron
The recommended iron intake for women is 18 mg each day and men is 8 milligrams. Red meat provides an adequate quantity of iron. Red meat constitutes a form of iron which is more quickly grasped than the iron in plant-based foods. Adding red meat to your diet one or two times a week can help red blood cells transfer enough oxygen to all the parts of your body. Iron deficiencies can lead to problems like low energy and behavioral issues.
3. Supplies Zinc
One very rare and most significant mineral that red meat provides is zinc. Zinc is an important mineral for building muscle mass, strengthening immune system and improving brain’s health. An average person needs 15 mg of zinc each day. Apart from these, red meats carry substantial amounts of iron, creatine, phosphorus, and lipoic acid. A decent amount of red meat does not harm your body in any way.
White meat—-
White meat is light and faded in color, both before and after cooking. The most usual kind of white or light meat is the lighter-colored meat of poultry like chicken, that comes from the breast. White meat also includes rabbit, the flesh of milk-fed young mammals like veal and lamb, and pork in particular.
1. Prevents bone loss
For maintaining bone health, you require adequate amount of calcium and protein. Protein-rich chicken or turkey helps in preventing bone loss and also aids conditions like osteoporosis or arthritis. Chicken is also rich in phosphorus, which is an essential mineral which supports your teeth and bones, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system function.
2. Better heart health
To maintain a healthy living, you need to maintain a healthy heart. And, once you start working towards a healthy heart, you can stay away from all the cardiovascular diseases. If the levels of amino acid homocysteine are high in the body, it can cause cardiovascular disease. Eating chicken breast defeats and controls homocysteine levels. You can either make soup or can also make a sandwich.
3. All the right vitamins
Riboflavin or Vitamin B2 found in chicken livers can reduce skin problems, chapped or cracked lips, sore tongue, and rejuvenate dry or damaged skin. Vitamin B6 or B-complex vitamins preserve enzymes and metabolic cellular reactions. They keep blood vessels strong along with maintaining high energy levels. White meat work towards strengthening metabolism.
Red meat is bad for health – Myth or Fact?
Protein is a complex molecule made up from chains of amino acids. Protein is important for growth and maintenance of muscles, skin, hair and nails as well as for the formation of hormones, enzymes and antibodies. Good sources of Protein are fish, poultry, meat, egg, legumes (lentils, peas, beans e.g. soybean and its products), milk and dairy products.
Some studies have linked red meat with increased risk of heart disease, partly due to the saturated fat content. In fact, chicken and fish also contain as much saturated fat as lean cuts of beef and pork. Red meat contains other nutrients like protein, iron and zinc that are important for health. So, instead of totally excluding red meat, choose leaner cuts such as beef eye of the round and top round. Remember to have a variety of protein sources, such as meat, poultry, egg, legumes, seafood with fish taken more frequently.
SOURCES OF FOOD ANIMALS
• Food animals are all animals that are used for human consumption.
• They may be mainly herbivorous animals.
• Food animals are generally of two types viz., Conventional food animals(cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats and pigs) and non-conventional food animals (musk oxen, yak, deer, reindeer, horses, camels, alpaca, llama and vicuna).
• The animals suitable for the food of man should have cloven footed hoof and chew the cud.
• In addition, poultry (chicken, ducks, geese, turkey, pigeons, emu, etc) have become major meat producing species.
• Food animals are kept primarily for the production of meat but they often yield additional products of sufficient value to influence the economics of the total process.
• The carcass yield or dressing percentage is expressed as a percentage of the live weight of the animals.
Dressing percentage = ((Live weight of the animal – dressed weight) / live weight ) x 100
Kind of animals Carcass yield (%)
Cattle 50 to 54
Sheep and Goat 35 to 50
Veal 63
Pig 65 – 70
MEAT CONSUMPTION HABITS IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE WORLD
• In Europe (Denmark, Belgium Holland and France) horseflesh forms an important item of human diet but in many other parts of world it is not so common.
• People of Korea and some parts of North-Eastern India consume the flesh of dogs.
• In Italy and Germany dogs were used in the past.
• In the south and south East of Asia, south and south west of Europe and in India, buffaloes are used. Deer, wild boar, etc. are used as dainties.
• Consumption of rabbit meat is rapidly increasing because of their quick turnover and better feed conversion ratio.
• Swine especially, the exotic variety are increasingly used nowadays in India.
• Some tribal people of Africa consume flesh of hippopotamus, rhinoceros and elephants.
• Diet of the Eskimos constitutes flesh of seal and polar bears.
• In some remote areas of Africa, human flesh (Cannibalism) may also be consumed. Whale is used in Norway and Japan.
• Fish, snakes, crabs, prawns, lobsters, frogs, molluscs, etc., form the aquatic source of meat in different parts of the globe.
• Frogs are consumed in China, Japan and U. S. A.
• Non-domestic ones – deer, wild boars, antelopes, wild cats, etc., are consumed as game animals in different parts of the world.
• Flesh of kangaroos is consumed in Australia.
• In Africa and Russia, elands are being domesticated, as well as antelopes in Russia.
• In South America large rodents, capybara, which is a semi-aquatic vegetarian, is being used as a source of meat, although it is not especially palatable.
DESCRIPTION OF FOOD ANIMALS
Cattle
• In India, cattle are reared mainly for milk production and draught purpose.
• Slaughter of cow is banned by law in most of the states of India except in Kerala and West Bengal. Slaughter of bullocks does take place at most of the places. Carcass yield varies from 50 to 54% depending upon the condition of the animal.
Buffalo
• Indian buffaloes are primarily reared for milk production and slaughtered after their productive period.
• There is a good demand for buffalo meat among the Middle East countries and Malaysia.
• Male buffalo calves with proper feeding and management offer vast potential for good quality and better-priced meat for export. A dressing percentage of 50% is obtained from well-maintained male buffalo calves of less than 3 months of age. The average dressing percentage of Indian buffaloes varies from 50 to 55%.
Sheep
• In arid, semi-arid and mountainous areas of our country which are not suitable for crop farming, sheep are primarily reared both for wool and meat.
• Sometimes milk is also obtained from sheep.
• Sheep and goat skins are fairly valuable and about 90% are recovered from slaughter.
• Almost 5% of total meat is derived from this species by slaughter of 33% sheep population every year.
• India stands third in sheep population in the world with vast genetic resource of as many as 40 breeds.
• In general, an average Indian sheep weighs between 13 to 16 kg at 6 months of age except for Deccani and Magra (both are dual purpose breed for mutton and carpet wool), which weigh about 20 kg.
• At 12 months of age the average weight varies from 18 to 22 kg except for Muzaffarnagri (dual purpose) and Magra , which weigh 25 and 28 kg, respectively.
• The dressing percentage of sheep is about 45 to 48%, which may go up to 50% in a well-bred stock.
Goats
• India ranks second largest in the world goat population.
• Since 90 % of goat population is found in Asian countries it is referred as Asian Animal.
• It is also regarded as the poor man’s cow and it has got the distinction of being the most important meat animal of India.
• It forms the choicest of all meats fetching the maximum retail price in the Indian market.
• The preslaughter weight of goats varies from 12 –to 20 kg depending on the size of the breeds.
• Most of the Indian breeds are medium sized.
• The dressing percentage also varies from 43 to 50%
• Tellichery due to its compact body and short stature has a dressing yield of 48-50%.
• Black Bengal and Barbari breeds produce good quality meat and skin.
• Sirohi and Marwari breeds have a meaty conformation.
Pigs
• Pigs should be slaughtered at 6-7 months of age.
• The dressing percentage varies from 65 to 70% in case of desi pigs and 70 to 75% in case of crossbred pigs.
Rabbit
• Rabbit is gaining importance among the Indian consumers of the hilly tracks as an alternate source of meat.
• Rabbits are highly prolific, grow rapidly and produce meat from cheap roughages.
• The average live weight ranges from 1.2 to 1.5 kg at 8 weeks and nearly 2 kg at 12 weeks.
• The carcass yield varies from 52 to 58% in different grades.
• Rabbit carcass contains 82% lean meat, which is white in colour and soft in consistency.
• It is comparatively low in sodium and rich in potassium and phosphorus.
• The saturated fatty acids account for more than 60% of the total fatty acids whereas free cholesterol is also relatively low.
Poultry
Indian poultry industry has made a phenomenal progress in the last few decades.
• It has transformed into a sophisticated industry quite rapidly after the establishment of several franchise hatcheries in 1970s.
• The broilers have a dressing percentage of 65-70%.
• Broiler meat is a true delicacy while it is available at comparatively lower price than chevon or mutton.
Japanese Quails
• This is another species of poultry, which is gaining importance and growing fast.
• It gains a weight of about 125 Gms at 5 weeks of age. The dressing percentage is about 60.
