Composition of Meat
Meat is defined by the Codex Alimentarius as “All parts of an animal that are intended for, or have been judged as safe and suitable for, human consumption”. Meat is composed of water, protein and amino acids, minerals, fats and fatty acids, vitamins and other bioactive components, and small quantities of carbohydrates.
Nutritional composition of meats and other food sources per 100g**
| Product | Water | Protein | Fat | Ash | KJ* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef (lean) |
75.0 | 22.3 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 116 |
| Beef carcass |
54.7 | 16.5 | 28.0 | 0.8 | 323 |
| Pork (lean) |
75.1 | 22.8 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 112 |
| Pork carcass |
41.1 | 11.2 | 47.0 | 0.6 | 472 |
| Veal (lean) |
76.4 | 21.3 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 98 |
| Chicken | 75.0 | 22.8 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 105 |
| Venison (deer) |
75.7 | 21.4 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 103 |
| Beef fat (subcutaneous) |
4.0 | 1.5 | 94.0 | 0.1 | 854 |
| Pork fat (back fat) |
7.7 | 2.9 | 88.7 | 0.7 | 812 |
| Milk (pasteurized) | 87.6 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 63 | |
| Egg (boiled) |
74.6 | 12.1 | 11.2 | 158 | |
| Bread (rye) |
38.5 | 6.4 | 1.0 | 239 | |
| Potatoes (cooked) | 78.0 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 72 |
**Meat processing technology for small- to medium-scale producers (FAO 2007)
* Kilojoules
From the nutritional point of view, meat’s importance is derived from its high quality protein, containing all essential amino acids and it’s highly bio available minerals and vitamins. Meat is rich in Vitamin B12 and iron which are not readily available in vegetarian diets.