Bush meat
In Nigeria, game animals commonly known as bush meat are eaten in
different delicacies. Examples of these animals include apes such as
chimpanzees and gorillas, as well as crocodiles, antelopes and scaly ant
eaters.
Game animals are mammals and birds that are either in the wild or
farmed. They are not usually considered to be domestic animals, but are
often hunted for food.
Eating bush meat has its good and ugly with regards to health
implications. The advantage of eating game animals cannot be
over-emphasised.
Game meat has less saturated fat, which makes it healthier than
other fatty meats. They are also low in calories when compared with beef
and pork.
Secondly, wild game meat is high in Eicosapentaenoic acid, an essential omega -3 fatty acid that has several health benefits.
Thirdly, wild game grows in a natural environment. This makes their
meat rich in vitamins and minerals and free from growth hormones which
are used in domestic meat and poultry production.
Thus, game meat is a good source of organic meat.
However, despite these benefits, great caution should be taken when eating game meat because of the following reasons.
Lack of proper meat inspection procedures
Consumption of game meat may be particularly dangerous because most
of these animals are caught in traps, shot at by hunters, and in some
cases, found dead in the bush and sold into the market straight away,
without any meat inspection procedures carried out on the carcass by a
professional to examine and guarantee that their flesh and organs, are
free of disease and any food- borne contaminant or pathogen. In fact,
experts say ape meat pose particular risks, with the HIV virus widely
believed to have originated from chimpanzees. Apes also host diseases
such as ebola, anthrax and yellow fever.
Ingestion of lead bullet fragments
A majority of game animals are usually shot by hunters using
bullets made of lead. Fragments of these bullets can be seen when you
examine the tissues of these animals. In some cases, while chewing on
the meat, you can feel like there is some grit or small stone in it.
The implication of ingesting this lead pellets is that overtime, it
will result in unsafe levels of lead in the body and this can interfere
with a variety of metabolic activities in our bodies. Lead can also be
toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines,
kidneys, reproductive and nervous systems.
bstance capable of causing cancer in living tissue). This is
because, the smoking process contaminates food with some compounds known
as polycystic hydrocarbons and nitrosamines, which are commonly found
in smoke. These compounds are known carcinogens. In fact, some
scientific studies have found a positive statistical correlation between
intestinal tract cancer and frequent intake of smoked food.
As much as game meat is an irresistible delicacy in many cultures
all over Nigeria and the world at large, great caution should be taken
when handling or before the consumption of these animals. Here are a few
steps that should be put into consideration to reduce the chances of
contact with pathogens that may be present on and in the game animals.
First, wash your hands thoroughly with antiseptic soap or solution after handling the carcass of any game meat.
Second, do not cut the meat into large chunks. It is better to cut
into small chunks so that the heat from boiling can easily penetrate the
meat. If the chunks are too large, the centre may not be properly
cooked because the heat may not be able to penetrate.
Also, after cutting, rinse properly until all traces of blood is removed.
Finally, you must ensure that you cook game meat properly. Never
eat it raw. This is because they may contain alot of micro organisms
and parasites that can severely harm you.
An example is a case study of a 13-year-old boy named Weijie from
the Zhejiang province in Shanghai, China. He was diagnosed with
Pentastomiasis (a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by blood sucking
worms known as pentastomes) after eating the raw gall bladder of a
snake. Hundreds of parasites were found in Weijie’s lung, liver,
intestines and kidneys at the Fudan University’s Children Hospital.
The snake’s gall bladder was given to him by his parents because
they thought it would keep their son healthy and improve his eye sight.
Sounds funny though, but this is a Chinese myth.
Meng Silang, vice-secretary general of the Shanghai Traditional
Medicine Association, says “Snake gall bladder is good for eyesight and
clearing inner heat. The appropriate way is to parch the gall bladder
and make it into a powder.”
To eat or not to eat assorted meat
We will be looking at offals popularly called ‘assorted meat’
(entrails and internal organs of an animal used as food). Examples of
offals are the brain, heart, kidney, liver, tongue, stomach, intestines,
testicules, and so on.
Benefits
Organ meats are nutritional power houses. In fact, nutritionists
confirm that these portions carry wholesome nutrition that is far more
superior to the muscular flesh of the same animals. Little wonder why,
by instinct, hunters such as lions and jaguars go straight for the
internal organs of their captured beast. I guess the reason for this
action is because, over time, these predators instinctively know where
the bulk of the nutrition lies.
***
Written by Olufemi Oboye
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