meat

thumb|upright=1.5|Raw meat (clockwise from left): chicken as food|chicken, [[beef, bacon, pork chops]] Meat is animal tissue, mostly muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, and cattle, starting around 11,000 years ago. Since then, selective breeding has enabled farmers to produce meat with the qualities desired by producers and consumers. Meat is important to economies and cultures around the world.

OverviewAI-generated

Meat is a food and food ingredient classified as flesh and an intermediate good. It consists of muscle, adipose tissue, and liquid water. These materials are natural products of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. The substance is produced through animal slaughter. It serves as a component in dishes such as Hochepot.

Nutritional data indicates that meat contains 233 kcal of energy, 15.4 grams of fat, and 18.8 grams of protein. It also includes 5.5 grams of saturated fat, 4.3 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of sugars, 0.4 grams of fiber, and 2.56 grams of salt. It holds a Nutri-Score of E and a NOVA classification of 4. The subject appears in 20,046 Openfoodfacts products. It is referenced by 2,007 other encyclopedia articles.

Synthesized by Vinony from 28 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, PubMed, Openfoodfacts, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Nutrition · Open Food Facts

Typical values per 100 g · averaged across 20,046 products

eNutri-Score

4NOVA · Ultra-processed food

Energy: 233 kcal
Fat: 15.4 g
— of which saturates: 5.5 g
Carbohydrates: 4.3 g
— of which sugars: 2 g
Fibre: 0.4 g
Protein: 18.8 g
Salt: 2.56 g

Browse on Open Food Facts →

via Open Food Facts · ODbL

Research

144,791 papers

Health Risks Associated with Meat Consumption: A Review of Epidemiological Studies.ReviewInternational journal for vitamin and nutrition research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Vitamin- und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal international de vitaminologie et de nutrition · 2015Battaglia Richi E, Baumer B, Conrad B et al.DOI: 10.1024/0300-9831/a000224
Masculinity, Meat, and Veg*nism: A Scoping Review.American journal of men's health · 2024Velzeboer R, Li E, Gao N et al.DOI: 10.1177/15579883241247173
Meat consumption and consumer attitudes in Japan: An overview.ReviewMeat science · 2022Sasaki K, Motoyama M, Watanabe G et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2022.108879
Culture, meat, and cultured meat.ReviewJournal of animal science · 2020Bryant CJDOI: 10.1093/jas/skaa172
Meat products in human nutrition and health - About hazards and risks.ReviewMeat science · 2024De Smet S, Van Hecke TDOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2024.109628
Meat analogues, the Canadian Meat Industry and the Canadian consumer.ReviewMeat science · 2022Ngapo TMDOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2022.108846
Functional fermented meat products with probiotics-A review.ReviewJournal of applied microbiology · 2022Munekata PES, Pateiro M, Tomasevic I et al.DOI: 10.1111/jam.15337
Red Meat Amino Acids for Beginners: A Narrative Review.ReviewNutrients · 2025Barr B, Levitt DE, Gollahon LDOI: 10.3390/nu17060939

via PubMed

~41 min read

Encyclopedic overview

48 sections

Contents

Etymology
History
Domestication
Intensive animal farming
Selective breeding
Animal growth and development
Genetics
Environment
Animal nutrition
Animal welfare
Human intervention
Composition
Biochemical
Nutritional
Production
Transport
Slaughter
Dressing and cutting
Conditioning
Additives
Consumption
Historical
Trends
Methods of preparation
Red vs white meat
Health effects
Contamination
Cancer
Bacterial contamination
Diabetes
Infectious diseases
Changes in consumer behavior
Cardiovascular disease
Environmental impact
Land use
Climate change
Biodiversity loss
Reducing environmental impact
Reducing meat consumption
Cultural aspects
Ethical issues
Religious traditions
Psychology
Gender
See also
References
Sources
External links

Meat is mainly composed of water, protein, and fat. Its quality is affected by many factors, including the genetics, health, and nutritional status of the animal involved. Without preservation, bacteria and fungi decompose and spoil unprocessed meat within hours or days. Meat is edible raw, but it is mostly eaten cooked, such as by stewing or roasting, or processed, such as by smoking or salting.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “meat” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.