Wagyu SA Congress WeeklyneWsWrap
30 August 2019 farmer’sweekly 21Themajorityofconsumers
worldwidesufferfrom
malnutritionduetoa trendto
eatlessmeat.Thiswasaccording
toProfDaleWoerner,associate
professorofmeatscienceat
theTexasTechUniversity
inLubbockintheUS.
Speakingatthe 2019
WagyuSouthAfricaCongress
atNampoParknearBothaville,
Woernersaidthatwomen
especiallysufferedfrom
irondeficiency,amongother
problems,duetoadvicefromill-
informedhealthpractitionersto
cutdownonmeatconsumption.
“Meatis a nutritionally
denseproductandthebest
possiblesourceofprotein
ontheplanet,”hesaid.
Leanmeatandredmeat
wereessentialforcellgrowth
andbloodproduction,hesaid.
Asanexcellentsourceofiron,
meatwasvitalforredbloodcell
productionandtheprevention
ofanaemia.Italso provided an
ideal source of B-vitamins, which
aided in the formation of red
blood cells and metabolism.
It was also a source of fat,
which was necessary for nutrient
absorption, nerve transmission
and cell membrane integrity,
he said. According to Woerner,
meat was essential for preventingsarcopenia in older individuals,
a condition associated with loss
of muscle mass and strength. He
said the prevention of sarcopenia
was especially important to ensure
that people could continue to live
well and independently. Loss of
muscle could decrease stamina,
lessen the ability to perform daily
tasks, and lead to an increased
risk of falling and bone fractures.
“While there is no single cause,
insufficient protein intake may
be a key contributor to this
condition, which can significantly
compromise overall quality of
life as we age. This condition
is becoming an increasingly
important public health issue.”
Woerner said that meat added
to weight management and
the ability to fight diabetes by
maintaining lean body mass and
promoting a healthy metabolism.
Individuals who consumed 25%
to 30% of their calories from
meat as a source of protein had
a lowered risk of heart disease
because of reduced body fat
and improved high-density
lipoprotein and triglyceride levels.
The vitamins and minerals
that were plentiful in red
meat also reduced the risk of
developing Alzheimer’s disease
and helped to improve memory,
he said. – Annelie ColemanIn the past, beef was a mere
commodity in South Africa.
This all changed with the advent
of Wagyu beef production
in the country a decade ago,
according to Brian Angus,
Wagyu breeder and processor
near Arlington in the Free State.
Speaking at the 2019 Wagyu
South Africa Congress held
recently near Bothaville in the
Free State, Angus said that
before production of the highly
marbled high-end Wagyu beef,
all beef in South Africa had come
from the same weaner pool, and
were all fed similarly, while all
producers had used the same
inputs and supplements. All beef
had therefore “tasted the same”.
The South African red meat
classification system did not
differentiate beef, and farmers
did not get paid for marbling.
As a result, they did not breed
for marbling. The introduction of
Wagyu had brought about a taste
and beef quality revolution in
South Africa and demand for high-
end Wagyu beef had increased
exponentially since, he said.
“Wagyu producers imported
more than 60 000 straws of
Wagyu semen during the last
two years, and at the moment
there are more calves available
than the market can absorb.”
He said the introduction of
Wagyu bulls in commercial
beef cattle herds could improve
the quality of beef in a single
generation. According to Angus,
the supply of marbled beef would
go a long way to increase the beef
market share in South Africa.
“If we market our product
correctly, and by correctly I mean
that we ensure that no inferior
products are sold as Wagyu
beef, we will have much to
celebrate during the next decade
as well.” – Annelie Coleman
Global malnutrition due to
‘trend to eat less meat’
Celebrating
a decade
of Wagyu
breeding in SA
ABOVE:
Meat is the best
possible source
of protein on the
planet and has
many health
benefits, according
toTexas-based
meatscientist
ProfDaleWoerner.
WoodvieW
Professional genetics