Is eating animal organs harmful to health? Can you eat them safely? Today I will tell you the truth...

This article was reviewed by Pa Li Ze, chief physician of nutrition, member of the Science Popularization Committee of the Chinese Nutrition Society

Stir-fried chicken hearts, braised liver tips, braised pork intestines...is there anything you like?

There are countless ways to cook animal offal, and offal itself is also very popular among foodies, ranking high on the food list all year round. However, the rumor that "animal offal contains high levels of pollutants" has always made some people worried. Is eating animal offal unhealthy? Can you eat it safely? Let's take a look.

Is it safe to eat animal offal?

According to my country's food safety supervision requirements, animal offal sold on the market must first pass veterinary health inspections, and the heavy metals, pesticides, veterinary drug residues and other harmful substances they contain must strictly comply with relevant national standards.

Such as the national food safety standard GB2762-2017 Limits of Contaminants in Food, GB2763 Maximum Residue Limits of Pesticides in Food, and Announcement No. 235 of the Ministry of Agriculture on Veterinary Drug Residues.

Therefore, generally speaking, animal offal sold in large supermarkets can be purchased with confidence.

Offal contains 3 main nutrients

Animal offal is a treasure trove of nutrients, rich in a variety of nutrients, among which the most important are the following three.

1. Heme Iron

Animal offal is the best source of heme iron, an essential nutrient for the human body. It not only has a high content, but also has a very high absorption rate. Healthy adults can effectively prevent iron deficiency anemia by eating animal liver once a week (50 grams) and pregnant women and nursing mothers twice a week.

2. Vitamins

Offal is a gathering place for vitamins. Among them, the vitamin A content in animal liver is far higher than that in milk, eggs, fish and meat, which helps relieve symptoms such as dry eyes, fatigue and vision loss.

The content of B vitamins and trace elements in animal kidneys, hearts and gizzards (poultry stomach, such as chicken gizzards and duck gizzards) is significantly higher than that in ordinary meat.

3. Protein

The protein content of liver and gizzards is comparable to that of lean meat, and they are relatively high-quality protein sources.

Tips

The nutritional value of different parts of animal offal varies. Due to differences in growth environment, the nutritional value of the same offal of different animals also varies.

Pigs, cattle, and sheep: The livers of these three animals have the highest protein content, followed by the hearts, kidneys, and stomachs; the liver, lungs, and kidneys are rich in fat-soluble vitamins; the B vitamins in the liver, kidneys, and heart are significantly higher than in ordinary meat.

Chicken, duck, and goose: Gizzards have the highest protein content, followed by liver.

Vitamin A content: beef liver, lamb liver > chicken heart

Iron content: duck liver > pork liver > chicken liver

Zinc content: Liver and gizzards are rich in zinc, with pork liver and beef liver having the highest content.

Cholesterol content: The cholesterol content of animal liver is usually 3 to 4 times that of lean meat. In comparison, the cholesterol content of kidney is slightly lower, while the cholesterol content of heart is almost the same as that of ordinary meat.

6 principles for eating healthy offal

1. Purchase offal with the animal product quarantine certificate in markets with good hygiene supervision, and do not eat diseased or stale offal.

2. After purchasing, this type of product should be thoroughly cleaned and cut into small pieces as much as possible.

3. Special groups should choose with caution: Patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should pay attention to scraping away the fat in the pig's large intestine to prevent excessive fat intake; the cholesterol content in the liver and kidneys is high, so patients with hyperlipidemia, gallbladder disease, etc. should eat less; the viscera generally have a high purine content, so gout patients should avoid eating them.

4. To cook thoroughly, it is recommended to use a longer processing time and a higher temperature.

5. Eat in moderation. If you like to eat offal, don’t do it too often. You can eat a moderate amount (50-100 grams) once or twice a week to replace the intake of livestock meat.

6. Eat it with fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber: such as seaweed, celery, bean sprouts, leeks, cabbage, etc., which can not only reduce the absorption of cholesterol, but also play a role in nutritional complementation.

Guidelines for eating offal

1. Animal offal can be eaten safely

2. Offal is rich in three nutrients: heme iron, vitamins, and protein

3. Eat safe and hygienic offal, cook it thoroughly, pay attention to the amount and frequency of consumption, and eat it with fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber.

Source: Science Popularization China WeChat Official Account

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