“Fish, chicken, lean meat and eggs can be eaten daily”: A food-based dietary guideline for South Africa

Food products from animals provide a variety of macro- and  micronutrients. Animal sources of food, such as fish, chicken, meat and eggs, constitute high-quantity and high-quality protein, as they contain essential amino acids in the right proportions. In South Africa, eight micronutrients, namely vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, niacin, iron and zinc, have been identified as lacking in the population’s diet. Animal-sourced food is a particularly rich source of these nutrients. Relatively small amounts of these foods, added to a mixed diet, make a substantial contribution to nutrient adequacy. Generally, animal sources of food are associated with nutrients that are less desirable in the diet, such as saturated fat and cholesterol. However, by choosing lean prudent portions of these foods, the intake of such macronutrients can be controlled. Animal sources of food add variety and nutrients to the diet. Adding a small amount of these food products to a plant-based diet can yield considerable improvements in human health. For a variety of reasons, some people choose not to eat meat, but as there is no evidence that a moderate intake of fish, chicken, lean meat and eggs has a negative effect on health, there is no scientific justification to exclude them from the diet. As recommended in global food-based dietary guidelines, when consumed in moderation, fish, chicken, lean meat and eggs can be part of a healthy, South African diet

Nutrient content of South African red meat and the effect of age and production system

Feeding systems, slaughter age and other production techniques notably influence the nutrient content of red meat. The modernization of the different South African production systems since the previous nutrient composition studies, justifies the necessity to update existing knowledge on the nutritional profile of South African produced beef. In addition, a need was identified to extrapolate the effect of the two different feeding systems (extensive and intensive) on this nutritional profile. Results indicate that the total lipid content of marketable young carcasses (age A, fat code 2) has decreased over time, in line with global health and nutrition trends for leaner foods. With the majority of beef from these young carcasses being produced on intensive grain-based feeding systems, South Africa has a unique advantage in terms of total lipid content of such grain-fed produce. Internationally, grain-fed red meat is in most cases higher in total and saturated fat content compared to grass-fed counterparts, while in South African the opposite was observed. In addition to total fat content, the role of various lipid fractions in human health has often been associated with specific produce positioning and marketing. South African grass-fed beef is significantly higher in healthy omega 3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid, irrespective of degree of fat trimming. From a human nutrition perspective, it should be kept in mind that the total amount of omega 3 fatty acids per edible portion of beef produced in either production system is low in comparison to human dietary recommendations.Keywords: Beef, fatty acids, grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef, physical compositio

Editorial

Special issue: Relevance of the South African Carcass Classification Syste

A consumer perspective of the South African red meat classification system

The South African consumer market is characterised by socio-economic and cultural diversity. Food expenditure patterns, behaviour and preferences differ significantly between the various socio-economic sub-groups. Packaging information, including red meat classification information, could be an important tangible resource used by consumers to gauge product quality. The first objective of the research reported in this paper is to investigate the red meat knowledge, usage and perceptions regarding beef and sheep meat classification and related quality parameters among South African consumers. Consumer perceptions of red meat classification were extracted from a comprehensive consumer survey among stratified representative samples of South African low-, middle- and high-income consumers (n = 165, n = 171 and n = 249). The paper also briefly reports on an in-store ‘observational’ research project that was conducted to develop an understanding of the communication of carcass classification to consumers through fresh red meat product labels at independent butchers and large retailers across South Africa (n = 60). Low-income consumers had very limited understanding and gave little attention to red meat classification. Even though middle-class and wealthy consumers also have a limited understanding of red meat classification, about half of these consumers check for a classification mark. Red meat classification was not mentioned by consumers as a major concern regarding red meat, but related aspects were important such as quality, fattiness, tenderness, juiciness, taste, freshness, smell and appearance. Purchase considerations for beef and mutton/lamb focussed largely on safety, appearance, price and eating quality. Labelling information observed at retail outlets gave very little attention to classification. There is a definite need for consumer education relating to the red meat classification system and for the development of an appropriate front-of-pack labelling system to communicate red meat classification.Keywords: Beef, high-income, knowledge, labelling information, lamb, low-income, middle-income, mutton, perception

Changes in the composition of South African red meat

Red meat often evokes a wide array of complex and contradictory arguments. It is viewed as the most expensive component of any diet, supplying many essential nutrients as part of a healthy, prudent eating plan. Yet, red meat is non-homogenous, unique to each country, and continually changing in composition. It is observed that the amount of fat on carcasses has reduced over time, simultaneously improving nutrient density through feed efficiency. The objective of this paper is to present composition data on South African lamb, mutton and beef, and report on the changes observed between local data and international data (for lamb and mutton), as well as changes in the composition of South African beef over time. South African lamb and mutton contain notably less fat and more nutrients per 100 g product than international sheep meat produced, rendering a lean product with a higher nutrient density. Compared to previous studies on South African beef, the current data indicate notable changes in the composition over time, specifically related to a reduction in fat content. This reduction together with changes in carcass weight has resulted in changes in carcass composition and thus changes in nutrient density. The data attest that in order to align industry processes, as well as legislation and marketing strategies, continued research on composition needs to be performed for the baseline information to remain relevant and accurate.Keywords: Beef, lamb, mutton, nutrient content, nutritional composition, South Afric