Meat contributes to our mental well-being and benefits our brain health. Many studies affirm that the consumption of quality meat was one of the determining factors in human evolution.
It is a source of highly bioavailable heme iron, quality protein and essential amino acids such as tryptophan, variable fat and Vitamin B12 that contribute to our health. But… are all meats the same? What criteria should we demand at the time of purchase?
Many times we buy food in supermarkets, markets or local stores without knowing exactly how to interpret the nutritional labeling.
All citizens have the right to know what they are eating, both for health and economic reasons, in order to avoid food fraud. That is why more and more producers are demanding clear transparency of the entire production chain so that the final consumer has the ability to choose freely.
Little by little, new ways of producing and consuming food are emerging and what better way than to know the key points:
One of the fundamental criteria we should look for when choosing meat is the organic label.
When we buy a food certified as organic, we are assured that it has been produced, processed, packaged, labeled and marketed according to this standard, which is based on the principle of respect for the environment, animal welfare and techniques that maintain the natural properties of the raw materials to the maximum.
Organic meat assures us that the animals have been grazing outdoors in freedom and no industrial feed has been used. Therefore, the fact that the animals graze in freedom and feed on cereals, seeds and oilseed meals, makes the meat juicier and results in a product of high nutritional quality.
Another of the fundamental criteria when choosing good meat is to guarantee that the animal has not been given antibiotics. Nowadays, resistance to antibiotics is a widely known problem in society and we must find a solution to this problem through the consumption of quality foodstuffs.
On the other hand, ensuring that animal feed is GM-free is an important step in the fight against the development of food intolerances, unknown allergies or liver damage. Currently, various international scientific bodies are gathering evidence on the consequences of eating GM foods on human health.
In addition, betting on the rural environment and small producers makes production sustainable and allows for growth. If we are talking about meat derivatives such as sausages, we must make sure that the meat content itself is higher than 90-95% of the animal spice we are buying. There is packaged turkey that when you look at the labeling, it only says 60% turkey and the rest is a mixture of starches, lactose, unnecessary additives and salt.
If we talk about food additives, we can make special mention of sulfites. They are used as additives in meat for their preservative, antifungal, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. They are synthetic preservatives that are frequently added to meat derivatives and there is controversy as to their risk-benefit. They can cause irritation of the digestive tract and avitaminosis in addition to allergies or asthma. When administered in meat, it masks the loss of odor caused by bacterial deterioration.
However, it should be clarified that by definition, any food additive must meet the requirements of being effective, harmless and necessary. The amounts of additives added in the industry are controlled and the maximum amount allowed is well below that which can present a problem.
Consuming healthy, ethical and sustainable meat is an important step in our health. If it is in our power to choose, I would choose quality.
A varied and balanced diet, with representatives of each food group, not only brings us nutritional benefits, but also helps us to form substances capable of regulating sensations such as pleasure or well-being.
