CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS, NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND SAFETY OF CROCODILE MEAT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15547/tjs.2024.03.010Keywords:
crocodile meat, nutritional value, meat compositionAbstract
In the last few years, the European Union has reported increased imports of fresh, chilled or frozen meat, including crocodile meat. Industry has been developing and has invested largely in its efforts to improve quality and increase meat yield by innovating its methods of farming, feeding and carcass processing. The reason, on the one hand, is the fact that crocodile meat is perceived not only as “exotic” and “adventure”, but also as dietary and healthy, with high nutritional value, due to its low fat and sodium content and high protein percentage. The approximate composition of Crocodylus niloticus meat shows protein levels of 15.7-22.08%. In the other species Crocodylus pororsus, Caiman yacare, Alligator mississippiensis and Caiman latirostrisis the average amount of protein is 20-21%, making it a food rich in protein, such as chicken, pork, lamb and beef. Crocodile meat contains high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) – between 33.2% and 51.3% and saturated fatty acids (SFA) – between 26.0% and 41.4%. It is quite delicate, with low cohesiveness, high elasticity and tenderness. It is juicy, without the presence of connective tissue with an intense taste and an almost imperceptible aroma. Iron, magnesium and sodium levels in crocodile meat are lower than those in beef and chicken. The low sodium content is another indication of the health benefits of crocodile meat. The paper dwells on the qualitative characteristics of crocodile meat, focusing on its safety as a product for human consumption and presents data about by-products obtained from crocodiles used in ancient and modern medicine, beneficially affecting human health.
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