Pontificia Universidad Católica De Chile: Nutrition And Diet Distinguishes Certain Cuts Of Beef And Pork As Extra Lean Meats
The researchers agree that the extra lean cuts of beef are: seat, goose tip, smooth loin, black post, pink post, shoulder post, over rib and chest cover. Regarding the cuts of pork, those classified as extra lean are: center loin, fillet, pink post, black post, seat and leg pulp. Finally, the extra lean cuts of chicken and turkey are: skinless trout and skinless chicken breast.
Three academics from the UC Nutrition and Dietetics career participated in studies to analyze the nutritional quality of meats. The investigations concluded that to the already traditional extra lean white meat of chicken, turkey and fish, red meat of beef and pork are added.
Meat has a historical role in human evolution and is an important component of a healthy and balanced diet due to its nutritional contribution. The content and composition of intramuscular fat, high-quality protein, vitamins (such as B12), and minerals (such as zinc and iron) are important determinants of the nutritional quality of meat.
The investigations concluded that to the already traditional extra-lean white meat of chicken, turkey and fish, red meat of beef and pork are added
Any consumer can access databases of the composition of foods to know the nutritional quality of meats (for example: FoodData Central, USDA 2019). However, it is important to consider that these values are referential and usually represent products of North American origin. In this way, the development of composition tables for food produced in Chile is vital for a better understanding of the nutritional quality of the meat available to the Chilean population. However, the culinary technique and ingredients used in the preparation of a meat, as well as the other foods that accompany it in a meal, should always be present.
For UC Carolina Fredes academic : “The existing evidence of the association between diet and the incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases has driven interest in developing production systems to reduce the content of total fat and saturated fat in meat . Likewise, the development of processed meat products has involved a reduction in trans fatty acids, total and saturated fat, and sodium. In this way, over the last decades, the nutritional quality of meats and meat products has varied considerably ”.
“The existing evidence of the association between diet and the incidence of chronic noncommunicable diseases has fueled interest in developing production systems to reduce the content of total fat and saturated fat in meat” – Carolina Fredes, Nutrition and Dietetics scholar
The composition and quality of the meat depends on factors such as the form of production, the genetic line of the animal, the slaughter age, and the animal feed. In this way, the primary production (or production of animals for meat) and the productive system (which in simple terms is the way the animal lives or is raised) adopted will affect the nutritional quality of the meat.
The academic UC, Loreto Rojas , specifies that: “the same type of meat cut from the same animal species (eg chicken breast, beef fillet or pork loin) may present a different protein and fat intake, depending on of the productive system from which it comes.In this context, during the last 40 years due to advances in animal genetics, nutrition and handling and changes in processing techniques, the fat content of meat has decreased substantially ”.
The researchers agree that the extra lean cuts of beef are: seat, goose tip, smooth loin, black post, pink post, shoulder post, over rib and chest cover . Regarding the cuts of pork, those classified as extra lean are: center loin, fillet, pink post, black post, seat and leg pulp . Finally, the extra lean cuts of chicken and turkey are: skinless trout and skinless chicken breast .
The researchers agree that the extra lean cuts of beef are: seat, goose tip, smooth loin, black post, pink post, shoulder post, over rib and chest cover
In general, meat is cooked before being consumed. The heat partially destroys and solubilizes the extracellular food matrix of the meat – which holds the muscle fibers together – contributing to the tenderness of the tissues. There are different culinary techniques recommended for different types of meat cuts. Also, it is advisable to use low heat and humid cooking methods; that can reduce the formation of advanced glycation products (AGEs), which have been associated with adverse health effects. Thus, the culinary technique and the ingredients used in the preparation of the meat will ultimately influence its nutritional contribution.
Paulina Pettinelli, PhD in Nutrition and Food and UC Academic , explains that the different types of meats have good quality proteins, both for their essential amino acid content and for their digestibility. He adds: “ The nutrient with the greatest variability and controversy in meats is total fat, mainly due to its contribution in calories and the epidemiological profile of the population. Thus, the consumption of poultry meats such as chicken and turkey, and fish has been classically recommended. However, as previously explained, thanks to the changes in Chilean production systems, there is emerging evidence that indicates that red meat produced in Chile would have lower fat content ”.