The Effect of Sex on the Chemical and Mineral Composition of the Meat, Bone and Liver of Giraffe (Giraffa giraffa angolensis).

Consumers tend to buy meat based on visual physical characteristics, which are affected by the chemical composition of the meat, and there is very little known about the chemical composition of the meat of giraffe. This study therefore aims to broaden the knowledge base on the chemical composition of giraffe meat, rib bone and liver. Eight different muscles from 15 giraffes were analyzed to determine the chemical composition, yielding an average moisture of 77.2 ± 0.09 g/100 g meat, an average protein of 20.8 ± 0.09 g/100 g meat, an average intramuscular fat (IMF) of 1.4 ± 0.03 g/100 g meat and an average ash of 1.1 ± 0.01 g/100 g meat. There was a significant interaction between sex and muscle for the moisture, protein and ash contents, while only muscle had an effect on the fat content. The mineral content of the bone, liver and Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle was also analyzed, and bone was found to be a rich source of calcium (highest concentration), whilst the liver had the highest concentration of iron. The chemical composition of the giraffe meat was such that it could be classified as lean meat.

The Status of Marine Mussel Pollution Research in South Africa (2012-2022).

The growing human population requires more food each year, and seafood products can help meet this demand if clean water resources are available for their growth. Farmed and wild mussels are environmentally friendly seafood with many health benefits to human consumers, but they can also pose a health risk if they are harvested from areas where marine anthropogenic pollution is uncontrolled or unmonitored. While the coastline in South Africa has long been assumed to be pristine, a growing number of recent studies are raising contamination concerns. Baseline studies establish a wide range of anthropogenic pollutants to be present in the marine environment, specifically in urbanised or industrialised areas like major cities or harbours. This review summarises how mussels could pose health risks to human consumers and the current research that is being conducted by private researchers and institutions in South Africa. The review emphasises the need for more research in the field and for governmental pollution monitoring data to be released to the public.