title: Horse-meat for human consumption - Current research and future opportunities.
abstract: The consumption of horse-meat is currently not popular in most countries, but because of its availability and recognized nutritional value consumption is slowly increasing in several western European countries based on claims that it could be an alternative red meat. In this review, horse-meat production, trade and supply values have been summarized. In addition, the advantage of horse production is noted because of its lower methane emissions and increased uptake, particularly of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which is based on its digestive physiology. Of particular interest in this review is the unique fatty acid composition of horse-meat with its high level of the nutritionally desirable PUFAs in both the adipose and muscle fat. Because of its large frame size and digestive physiology, the horse can be considered an alternative to bovine meat, with large advantages regarding the maintenance of less favored mountain grazing areas and its facility to transfer PUFA from feed to meat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy & Food Sciences, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
authors.forename: Xabier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Belaunzaran
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, CIISA, Lisbon University, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rui J B
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bessa
authors.affiliation: Mountain Livestock Institute, CSIC-ULE, Finca Marzanas, 24346 Grulleros, León, Spain.
authors.forename: Paz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lavín
authors.affiliation: Mountain Livestock Institute, CSIC-ULE, Finca Marzanas, 24346 Grulleros, León, Spain.
authors.forename: Angel R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Mantecón
authors.affiliation: Guelph Food Research Centre, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada (retired).
authors.forename: John K G
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy & Food Sciences, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. Electronic address: noelia.aldai@ehu.eus.
authors.forename: Noelia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aldai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis; D005504:Food Analysis; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D009753:Nutritive Value
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
keywords: Greenhouse gases; Hindgut fermenter herbivore; Horse-meat; Production; n-3 fatty acids; trans