Is "offal" really dirty? Which parts of cattle and sheep are not edible? Here comes the authoritative answer...

Experts in this article:

Zhao Aili, PhD candidate in Nutrition and Food, Fujian Medical University

Wang Wenxiang, Doctor of Medicine, Associate Professor of Fujian Medical University, Doctoral Supervisor of Nutrition and Food

Beef offal, mutton offal, and stewed offal are the leftovers of beef, mutton, and pork, commonly known as "offal", which usually include more than ten kinds such as tripe, intestines, heart, liver, lungs, tendons, hooves, head, and blood.

The Chinese have a long history of eating "offal". Shandong has "Nine-turn Large Intestine", Sichuan has "Dry-fried Pork Intestine", Chongqing has "Maoxuewang", Guangzhou has "Stewed Beef Offal", and Beijing has "Luzhu".

There are many ways to eat "offal", which makes people salivate. Because of its low price, it is deeply loved by the majority of "foodies". However, some people also ask whether the leftover meat such as beef offal, mutton offal, and stewed meat is dirty? Can we eat it safely? Let's make it clear once and for all.

Are beef offal, mutton offal and stewed meat dirty?

People are worried about whether these animal "offal" are dirty, mainly because the liver, kidneys, intestines, stomach, etc. are where food is metabolized, food and food residues are stored. If they are not cleaned properly, they will lead to food contamination by foreign matter, blood residue, etc.

Therefore, the key to this problem is how to handle these ingredients. There are different ways to handle different animal organs (taking kidneys, lungs, and large intestines as examples):

1. Kidney: Tear off the outer membrane, cut in half and remove the white tendon in the middle.

2. Lungs: Align the main blood vessels of the lungs with the faucet and irrigate them. Repeat the cleaning 4-5 times until the lung lobes turn white. After blanching, remove the lung tube.

3. Large intestine: Turn the intestine inside out and wash it, rub it repeatedly with salt and starch to remove mucus and odor, and use a knife to remove fat on the intestinal wall.

So no matter which part it is, as long as it is cleaned properly, you don’t have to worry about whether it is dirty or not.

Can we eat animal offal and how much can we eat?

Because animal offal contains many vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the human body, such as vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, heme iron, selenium, etc., it is recommended to eat animal offal 2-3 times a month, with each intake of about 50 grams, to supplement these vitamins and minerals.

Although these "offal" of animals are delicious, they should not be eaten too much, and for some "specific groups of people", they should try not to eat them. The reasons are as follows:

1. Toxin Residue

The internal organs, especially the liver and kidneys, are metabolic organs and may have accumulation of metabolic waste and heavy metals.

2. High cholesterol

The cholesterol content of animal offal is relatively high. For example, the cholesterol content of lamb hind leg meat (83 mg/100 g) is 4.2 times that of lamb hind leg meat. The cholesterol content of lamb lung (319 mg/100 g) is 3.84 times that of lamb hind leg meat. The cholesterol content of lamb kidney (289 mg/100 g) is 3.48 times that of lamb hind leg meat. The cholesterol content of lamb tripe, lamb large intestine and lamb heart is also higher than that of lamb hind leg meat. Eating too much will lead to high blood lipids and may cause cardiovascular disease. Therefore, people with obesity, high blood lipids, high blood sugar and cardiovascular disease should not eat it.

Table of cholesterol content in offal from various parts of cattle, sheep and pigs (content per 100 grams of food)

Data source: Chinese Food Composition Table (2009 edition), compiled by Yang Yuexin et al., Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

3. High purine

Animal offal is a high-purine food and is not recommended for patients with hyperuricemia and gout as it can easily cause gout.

4. High in Vitamin A

According to the Chinese Nutrition Society's recommended daily intake of vitamin A, adult males are 800 micrograms of retinol equivalents (RE) and females are 700 micrograms.

The liver has the highest vitamin A content among the offal. For example, every 100 grams of pork liver contains 4972 micrograms of vitamin A, which is more than 6 times the daily recommended intake. Every 100 grams of beef liver and sheep liver contain 20220 micrograms and 20972 micrograms of vitamin A, respectively, which is more than 25 times the daily recommended intake. Therefore, excessive consumption can cause vitamin A poisoning.

In addition, people who are allergic to beef and mutton should not eat it.

Which part of a cow or a sheep is the most delicious?

The answer varies from person to person. The taste of meat varies depending on its fat content and connective tissue content. Meat with moderate fat content has a better taste, being juicy but not greasy. Meat with a high connective tissue content has a firm and chewy texture.

The fat content and connective tissue content of meat in different parts are different. Among them, beef and sheep tenderloin has less fat content and higher protein content. The meat is tender and can be stir-fried, stewed or fried, making it one of people's favorite parts.

Of course, every part of beef and mutton has its "enthusiasts". Different processing and seasoning methods will give it a unique taste. Everyone can choose according to their needs.

Table of the three major energy-producing nutrients in various parts of mutton (content per 100 grams of food)

Data source: Chinese Food Composition Table (2009 edition), compiled by Yang Yuexin et al., Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Table of the three major energy-producing nutrients in various parts of beef (content per 100 grams of food)

Data source: Chinese Food Composition Table (2009 edition), compiled by Yang Yuexin et al., Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Which parts of cattle and sheep cannot be eaten?

What you really can’t eat are the “three glands” of cattle and sheep: the thyroid gland, adrenal gland, and diseased lymph nodes. If you accidentally eat the thyroid gland and adrenal gland, the hormone substances such as thyroxine contained in them will cause a series of symptoms to the body, such as dizziness, headache, palpitations, vomiting, etc., while the diseased lymph nodes have immune and defensive functions for cattle and sheep themselves, but they can also cause harm to the human body if eaten accidentally.

In summary,

If the "offal" is washed properly, it will not be dirty.

For "non-specific population",

Eating "offal" in moderation is beneficial and harmless to people.

What you really can't eat are the "three glands" of cattle and sheep.

The pictures in this article with the "Science Popularization China" watermark are all from the copyright gallery. The pictures are not authorized for reprinting.