Exotic Meats: An Alternative Food Source

International audienceExotic meats were a protein source for human diet for many years. However, the massive capture caused the overexploitation and placed many reptiles and amphibious on the verge of extinction. Therefore, the captive rearing, the control during slaughtering and processing has been proposed as an alternative to the capture of wild animals. The present chapter shows the nutritional composition of this kind of meat, characterized by low levels of fat, high contents of protein, essential amino acids, fatty acids (especially long-chain n-3) and minerals indicating that their consumption may be beneficial for human health. However, very little data is available on the nutritional value of these meats. To concluded, exotic meat is an interesting alternative to be considered as a component of the human diet. In addition, the farming of exotic species could be important in the economy of some regions or countries