The issue of the dangers of consuming beef is largely based on false assumptions. Among other things, it is incorrect attributing harmfulness to the product, not the technological process. Excessive heat over a long period of time can cause problems, as explained by Prof. Wierzbicka. She also emphasized that the nutritional and health-promoting value of beef should also be taken into account, including: related to the content of vitamin B12.
In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about the harmful effects of eating red meat, but the data to confirm this is often unreliable. This also applies to the most influential publication on the impact of diet on health, i.e. Global Burden of Disease, which was discussed last year by prof. Alice Stanton.
Harmfulness of the processing process, not of the meat
In turn, prof. Ph.D. Agnieszka Wierzbicka, director of the Institute of Animal Genetics and Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, emphasized during this year’s Beef Sector Forum that the harmfulness should largely be attributed to the preparation processes, not to the products themselves.
– The issue of the risks associated with consuming beef is largely based on false assumptions. At the time of the GBD report, which showed that red meat was harmful, there were a lot of reports presenting certain issues in isolation. References to the report were very selective and often distorted. Unfortunately, although these data were denied, the belief that red meat is harmful remained in people’s minds – said prof. Wierzbicka.
– It was also incorrect to attribute the harmfulness to the product and not the technological process. It is an excessive dose of heat over a long period of time that can cause problems, and reducing time and temperature during processing allows to significantly reduce the occurrence of undesirable compounds, she added.
Prof. Wierzbicka stated that it would be beneficial to undertake international research in all product groups to demonstrate how temperature and time negatively affect food products.
Health-promoting effects of beef
Referring to the above-mentioned report, she emphasized that the nutritional and health-promoting value of beef should also be taken into account, including: related to the content of vitamin B12, which plays an important role in the functioning of the nervous system and promotes resistance to stress factors.
– Beef is the most effective meat in terms of health benefits. It is the best in terms of nutritional values, vitamins, minerals and heme iron. This is the meat with the fastest health-promoting effect. It contains absolutely no additional substances. If something was done to it, it is immediately visible and no one will buy such meat – emphasized Prof. Wierzbicka.
Could beef consumption be at risk?
Prof. Wierzbicka also stated that beef consumption will not decrease in the future.
– Reports indicate that in Europe, the United States and South America, meat consumption will be stable, and there may also be a slight upward trend. And in Far Eastern countries, meat consumption will increase significantly, the expert said.
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