Carnes de mamíferos silvestres não possuem mais ferro do que as de aves silvestres: uma revisão sistemática

Abstract

This study aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the presence of iron in wild animal meats, recognizing that this type of meat is a fundamental part of the diet of traditional populations. The study pursued two objectives: (i) to characterize the iron content in mammals and birds, and (ii) to test whether the iron content in the muscles of wild birds is lower than that in the muscles of wild mammals. A systematic literature review, following PRISMA guidelines, was conducted to collect relevant data. Article selection was based on the presentation of iron data in studies on the nutritional composition of wild animal meat consumed by human populations. These articles were obtained through searches in reputable databases such as Web of Science, Medline/PubMed, and Scopus. After evaluating eight articles, our results indicate that the meats from the viscera of mammals (average of 15.25 mg) have more than six times the iron content of their muscles (average of 2.24 mg), with no data on bird viscera found in the literature. Additionally, we observed that bird muscles (average of 3.75 mg) surpass the iron content of mammal muscles by almost 70%, although this difference is not statistically significant. The high iron values in the breast muscles of birds may be attributed to the type of slaughter, such as shooting without bleeding. These comparisons highlight that the iron content in game meat can be up to three times higher than that found in domestic animal meats. In conclusion, we initially find that wild meat can be considered a significant source of iron. Secondly, we observe that red meats (mammals) from wild animals consumed by hunting communities may not have a higher iron content than white meats (birds). These results emphasize the importance of considering the method of animal death (e.g., shooting, spear, suffocation, absence or presence of bleeding) when evaluating the nutritional composition of wild animals. Conducting future comparative studies will allow a deeper understanding of the differences in iron content between wild birds and mammals.