Would You Try Offal Bolognese? Scientists Urge Brits to Eat More Organ Meat

Researchers frequently urge nations to reduce animal slaughter in order to lower carbon emissions, yet one scientist could offer a more practical approach.

Dr TennesseeRandall, a consumer psychologist from Swansea University, suggests that people should incorporate more organ meats—such as the heart, liver, and kidneys—into their diet.

Although rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, organ meats are frequently underutilized and commonly discarded.

The more portions of the animal we consume, the fewer animals need to be killed in total to provide sustenance.the world's growing population. 

"Consuming more organ meats may reduce the number of animals slaughtered for food, thereby decreasing the greenhouse gases emitted by the meat industry," Dr. Randall stated in an article forThe Conversation. 

Dr Randall's new studydiscovered that a dish containing offal is more appealing to UK customers than traditional offal itself.

In trials involving almost 400 participants, spaghetti Bolognese made with organ meat combined with regular ground beef was the most popular.

I prepared the dish in my own kitchen to check how it stacks up against my usual recipe – and was happily impressed.

My initial job involves locating organ meats on the high street, which proves more challenging than it sounds.

Surprisingly, when I asked the man at my local butcher, Whole Foods in Kensington, about 'offal,' he had no idea what I was referring to.

Even after I repeat the word 'offal' six times, he still looks puzzled, as though I'm speaking a completely new language.

It's only when I mention 'heart, liver, kidney' that he responds with 'we don't have those'.

Fortunately, I have better fortune at Marks and Spencer, which offers lamb's liver, along with pork lung and heart (though in the form of haggis).

One positive aspect of offal is that it is relatively inexpensive compared to other cuts of meat, mainly due to the low level of consumer interest. A significant portion of the offal produced in the UK is exported as a result.

I have 250g of lamb's liver for £1.69 – under half the cost of regular lamb meat!

Back in my laboratory kitchen, I mix my offal with an equal amount of beef mice and prepare it using my standard Bolognese recipe, which includes a 'soffritto' base made from carrots, onions, celery, herbs, and tomatoes.

Why is consuming meat harmful to the environment?

Diets rich in meat pose a threat to the planet's well-being, as large-scale animal farming harms ecosystems and produces significant amounts of greenhouse gases.

Animal farming plays a role in climate change due to the release of methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon emissions — not only from the animals themselves but also from the procedures involved in processing and distributing their meat.

Additionally, the removal of trees to create space for cattle grazing diminishes carbon sequestration, which refers to the process of trees absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the air.

Certainly, consuming organ meats still involves farmed and killed animals – however, increasing the consumption of offal could at least slow down the number of animals raised and slaughtered.

Eagerly, as it cooks, it acquires a delightful texture, significantly thicker and more creamy in appearance compared to my usual slow-cooked meat sauce.

After approximately 30 minutes simmering on low heat, I pour it over some buttered spaghetti and finish it with freshly grated cheese and a sprinkle of black pepper.

The sauce offers a deep, rich, and intricate taste—sweet and slightly earthy, with a generous amount of satisfying umami, while the occasional pieces of liver add extra bursts of mineral-rich meatiness (which I acknowledge isn't to everyone's liking).

I've never had an issue with the taste of organ meats until recently, but I usually don't purchase them because I'm unsure how to prepare them.

But this experiment has revealed something very clear to me – organ meat can replace meat in almost any recipe.

In addition to spaghetti bolognese, Dr. Randall's experiments also incorporated organ meats to create meatballs, burgers, shepherd's pie, and a chicken and liver curry.

Certainly, consuming organ meats is not a novel concept – it was once a common dish in Britain during the Second World War – however, its ability to aid in addressing the climate crisis might have been neglected.

From my experience, there is not nearly enough organ meat available in stores, but this could be related to 'social acceptance'.

Interestingly, there could be a certain social stigma associated with consuming organ meats – specifically, being viewed as a "dish for older people."

"Individuals who were more inclined to manage their public image tended to hold less favorable views on meals containing offal," stated Dr. Randall.

This form of social behavior is referred to as 'impression management' and has been proven to affect dietary decisions.

The research also discovered that men had a more favorable view of consuming 'pure' organ meats compared to women, while both genders held comparable opinions regarding the consumption of organ meat mixed with ground meat.

"In fact, consuming more of the animal could contribute to a balanced diet and offer a more practical suggestion for sustainable eating, particularly for men who enjoy their meat," the scholar noted.

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