The processing of meat : the global perspective

Abstract

Meat is normally regarded as the parts which are edible such as muscle and offal of the food. Animals consume mainly grass and other edible crops such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs etc. In addition, poultry has become a major meat-producing species while rabbits, guinea pigs and various game animals and birds provide a substantial amount of protein. Fish and other seafood have also been an important part of man’s diet since earliest times. According to recent United States Department of Agriculture IUSDAI figures, the chief meat eating countries of the world are Australia with 119kgs/head per year, USA with 113kgs and Argentina with 108kgs. In the European Community, in 1987 there was an average yearly consumption per capita of 91.7kgs of meat of which 23.4kgs was beef, 3.8kgs sheep and goat meat, 38.5kgs pig meat and 16.8kgs poultry meat. France had the highest rate of consumption (108.2kgs) with Portugal the lowest (64.3kgs). In the United Kingdom, the annual consumption of meat and its products represent one-tenth of the total household expenditure on food, the amount in money is approximately 1000 million per year. It is estimated that only 60% of the world population eats 18kgs or more of meat per year which is regarded as the nutritional minimum. The remaining 40% represent some 1500 million people who consume less than this amount. An example is Africa where the average annual consumption is only 10kgs per head and in the underdeveloped countries of Asia where it is low as 3kgs per head.