Meat has long played an important role in the diet of humans. But exactly what do we mean when we talk about meat? Let’s take a look at the most commonly used definitions.

Meat

Most people use the term 'meat' to refer to animal flesh, mostly skeletal muscle. However, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand has a broader definition that also includes offal ('meat other than meat flesh' eg brain, liver, kidney, tripe) [1].

Red Meat

In Australia, the term ‘red meat’ is used by the meat industry to refer to meat from cattle, sheep and goat (ie beef, veal, lamb, mutton and goat meat). It does not include meat from pigs (eg pork, ham, bacon) or kangaroo [2]. In many other parts of the world, including the US, UK and Europe, the term ‘red meat’ includes pig meat.

Fresh Meat

‘Fresh’ meat usually consists of both lean tissue (muscle) and fat tissue, which can be either distributed throughout the muscle as marbling (internal fat) or surrounding the muscle meat as selvedge or external fat. In trimmed lean meat, it is usually the external fat only that is removed [3].

Processed Meat

‘Processed’ meat means a product containing no less than 30 per cent meat, that has undergone a method of preservation other than freezing, and includes manufactured meat and cured and/or dried meat flesh (eg, salami, bacon, ham and canned meats) [1].

References

1. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Food Standards Code - Volume 2. Canberra: Information Australia, 2002.
2. Beilken S, Eustace E, Eustace R. Composition of new meats - analyses and nutrient composition of innovative meat industries, RIRDC Publication No 07/036. 2007 [cited 25 April 2007]. Available from: http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/NAP/07-036.pdf.
3. Millward Brown. Meat Expectations 2003. Sydney: Meat & Livestock Australia, 2003.