Ever heard of a hostage strategy known as Bringing Home the Bacon? Well, it is a hostage negotiation technique where the negotiator would fry or grill bacon outside the area where hostages are held. When the smell of bacon lingers around the hostage area, the hostage-taker is tempted to make negotiations despite several failed attempts by the negotiator. Let’s know about Types of Meat.
We mean, who wouldn’t love bacon? Even the hostage-taker wouldn’t say no to bacon! We all love bacon and everything that involves meat. But the question is, where does meat come from? Let us find the answer in the following section, shall we!?
Before we dive into that, let us look at the etymological origin of the word Meat. Meat in the Old English terminology is written as ‘mete’ which means ‘food’. In Danish, it is called ‘mat’ which also translates to ‘food’. Meat is the flesh that comes from animals and is eaten as food. Meat comes from domesticated animals like cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, goats, and so on. Despite that, meat can also be found in exotic and gamey animals like deer, crocodiles, and so forth. Although meat is composed or referred to only muscle tissue, we see that different cultures would associate meat to the whole animal itself including its varied organs.
meat, since the cavemen era, has been a source of food and energy for mankind. According to human history, meat became a part of the human diet more than 50 million years ago. Before the meat of animals was hunted by men but as years passed by the animals were domesticated, put in feed-plots and pastures, and later sent to slaughterhouses for their flesh. With the emergence of cell cultivation, meat is being produced in labs using tissue engineering techniques. Due to ethical concerns and animal welfare, it is believed that cell-cultured meat could revolutionize the way we consumed the highly sought protein that we usually get from live animals.
Composition of meat and its health benefits
Looking from a scientific point of view, meat is mostly composed of muscle tissue. Not only does it contain proteins, but it also has water, fats, and carbohydrates. Meat replenishes our body and gives us great calorific benefits like improving our muscle mass and overall health. Meat, like beef, contains glutathione which is also called ‘master oxidant’. It has anti-aging benefits, strengthens the immune system, and increases longevity. It is also rich in minerals like calcium, copper, iron, zinc, and so on. 346.14 million tons of meat is consumed every year, globally. But despite its huge consumption, there are still groups of people that do not eat meat.
Types of meat
There are different varieties of meat ranging from the common US staple, the great big red beef that comes from cows to pork that comes from pigs. The following are some of the varieties of meat:
- Red meat: beef from a cow, mutton from goat, lamb from sheep
- Seafood: Fish, Lobster, Crawfish, etc
- Pork: meat from pigs
- Poultry: Chicken, Quail, Duck, and Turkey
We have other varieties of food that are made of meat like bacon, sausages, salami, ham, and pepperoni.
Consumption of meat in the US
If we take a look at the U.S’s agricultural sector, we see that the meat and poultry section highly dominates this sector. The meat industry in the U.S has fluctuated over the years with beef, pork, and poultry being consumed widely by them. We have restaurant and food chains like KFC, McDonald’s, and Burger King that have meat as their core menu.
It is said that the U.S has the world’s second-highest consumption of meat like beef and buffalo. As in 2002, it is stated that 268 Americans consumed bacon and pork. Meat consumption in the country has increased to 58 percent and it is believed that chicken and pork are going to overtake beef consumption. This is because a great number of Americans believed that poultry and pork are healthier and ethical processes are followed.
Due to some health concerns and this emerging animal ethics and welfare, we see that a great number of Americans are shifting to plant-based meat or protein instead of real meat. Nevertheless, meat is still consumed by a huge number here.
Meat has come a long way in human history. From being a source of food for the hunter-gatherer community to the modern man it has become a source of business and livelihood. Following a whopping million tons of meat consumption per year, it is safe to say that meat is still a staple despite the emergence of plant-based alternatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why is red meat red?
A. Myoglobin is a protein that is found in meat. It stores oxygen in animal cells which is used to convert to energy when the animal is constantly active. Myoglobin is highly pigmented and therefore if it is found in large quantities in these cells, the meat is redder and darker.
Q. What is the market value of the meat industry?
A. As published in bussinesswire.com, it is believed that the market value of the meat industry was around 2308.04 billion USD and
Q. How much does the U.S American consume meat in a year?
A. According to resources, it is believed that meat is consumed by the U. S American around 274 pounds per year.
Q. What are meat alternatives?
A. Meat alternatives are broad range if we look into the market. One such alternative is tofu and we also have plant-based meat that is entirely made of plants but resembles the taste of meat. Beyond Meat Burger is one of the examples.
