The Good And Ugly Side Of Eating Bush Meat (1)

If you have always been a big fan of eating bush meat, then these are certain good things you need to know about the good and ugly side of the act.

Bush meat

In Nigeria, game animals commonly known as bush meat are eaten in different delicacies. Examples of these animals include apes such as chimpanzees and gorillas, as well as crocodiles, antelopes and scaly ant eaters.

Game animals are mammals and birds that are either in the wild or farmed. They are not usually considered to be domestic animals, but are often hunted for food.

Eating bush meat has its good and ugly with regards to health implications. The advantage of eating game animals cannot be over-emphasised.

Game meat has less saturated fat, which makes it healthier than other fatty meats. They are also low in calories when compared with beef and pork.

Secondly, wild game meat is high in Eicosapentaenoic acid, an essential omega -3 fatty acid that has several health benefits.

Thirdly, wild game grows in a natural environment. This makes their meat rich in vitamins and minerals and free from growth hormones which are used in domestic meat and poultry production.

Thus, game meat is a good source of organic meat.

However, despite these benefits, great caution should be taken when eating game meat because of the following reasons.

Lack of proper meat inspection procedures

Consumption of game meat may be particularly dangerous because most of these animals are caught in traps, shot at by hunters, and in some cases, found dead in the bush and sold into the market straight away, without any meat inspection procedures carried out on the carcass by a professional to examine and guarantee that their flesh and organs, are free of disease and any food- borne contaminant or pathogen. In fact, experts say ape meat pose particular risks, with the HIV virus widely believed to have originated from chimpanzees. Apes also host diseases such as ebola, anthrax and yellow fever.

Ingestion of lead bullet fragments

A majority of game animals are usually shot by hunters using bullets made of lead. Fragments of these bullets can be seen when you examine the tissues of these animals. In some cases, while chewing on the meat, you can feel like there is some grit or small stone in it.

The implication of ingesting this lead pellets is that overtime, it will result in unsafe levels of lead in the body and this can interfere with a variety of metabolic activities in our bodies. Lead can also be toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, reproductive and nervous systems.

bstance capable of causing cancer in living tissue). This is because, the smoking process contaminates food with some compounds known as polycystic hydrocarbons and nitrosamines, which are commonly found in smoke. These compounds are known carcinogens. In fact, some scientific studies have found a positive statistical correlation between intestinal tract cancer and frequent intake of smoked food.

As much as game meat is an irresistible delicacy in many cultures all over Nigeria and the world at large, great caution should be taken when handling or before the consumption of these animals. Here are a few steps that should be put into consideration to reduce the chances of contact with pathogens that may be present on and in the game animals.

First, wash your hands thoroughly with antiseptic soap or solution after handling the carcass of any game meat.

Second, do not cut the meat into large chunks. It is better to cut into small chunks so that the heat from boiling can easily penetrate the meat. If the chunks are too large, the centre may not be properly cooked because the heat may not be able to penetrate.

Also, after cutting, rinse properly until all traces of blood is removed.

Finally, you must ensure that you cook game meat properly. Never eat it raw. This is because they may contain  alot of micro organisms and parasites that can severely harm you.

An example is a case study of a 13-year-old boy named Weijie from the Zhejiang province in Shanghai, China. He was diagnosed with Pentastomiasis (a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by blood sucking worms known as pentastomes) after eating the raw gall bladder of a snake. Hundreds of parasites were found in Weijie’s lung, liver, intestines and kidneys at the Fudan University’s Children Hospital.

The snake’s gall bladder was given to him by his parents because they thought it would keep their son healthy and improve his eye sight. Sounds funny though, but this is a Chinese myth.

Meng Silang, vice-secretary general of the Shanghai Traditional Medicine Association, says “Snake gall bladder is good for eyesight and clearing inner heat. The appropriate way is to parch the gall bladder and make it into a powder.”

To eat or not to eat assorted meat

We will be looking at offals popularly called ‘assorted meat’ (entrails and internal organs of an animal used as food). Examples of offals are the brain, heart, kidney, liver, tongue, stomach, intestines, testicules, and so on.

Benefits

Organ meats are nutritional power houses. In fact, nutritionists confirm that these portions carry wholesome nutrition that is far more superior to the muscular flesh of the same animals. Little wonder why, by instinct, hunters such as lions and jaguars go straight for the internal organs of their captured beast. I guess the reason for this action is because, over time, these predators instinctively know where the bulk of the nutrition lies.


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