Meat lipid profiles: a comparison of meat from domesticated and wild Southern African animals.

Background: The link between meat and various chronic diseases has been qualified recently, and is now accepted as being related to the amount of saturated fat present. Other work has shown differences in total lipid profiles between meat from 'wild' and 'domesticated' animals, with the 'wild' reflecting higher levels of polyunsaturated and lower saturated fat. This study assessed both meat types from South African sources.

Materials And Methods: All 'wild' meat samples were obtained fresh from a specialist restaurant. All 'domestic' samples were purchased from commercial outlets. Lipids were quantified using thin layer and gas chromatography.

Results: All of the domestic meats had higher saturated and lower polyunsaturated lipid levels than the wild meats. There was little difference between the phosphoglyceride, but large differences between the triacylglycerol, fractions.

Conclusion: Meat from animals raised under intensive agricultural methods in Africa is similar to those from the rest of the world, while wild meats are markedly different.