Iron Content in Wild Animal Meats: A Systematic Review Comparing Mammals and Birds

This study explores the iron content in wild animal meats, a critical component of the diets of several Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) worldwide. Our research aimed to: (i) characterize the iron content in the muscles and viscera of wild mammals and birds, and (ii) assess whether wild bird muscle contains less iron than wild mammal muscle. Employing a systematic literature review guided by PRISMA standards and utilizing databases such as Web of Science, Medline/PubMed, and Scopus, we analyzed data from eight pertinent studies. No data regarding bird viscera were identified. Our findings indicate a significant disparity in iron content between the viscera and muscle of mammals, with the former exhibiting over six times the iron content (mean of 15.25 mg per 100g) compared to the latter (mean of 2.24 mg per 100g). Contrary to our hypothesis, the iron content in the muscles of birds (mean of 3.75 mg per 100g) and mammals did not significantly differ (p=0.120), with birds, descriptively, demonstrating a nearly 70% higher iron content. This unexpected result may be attributed to the influence of slaughter methods, such as gunshot, which prevents external bleeding, or animal behavior. Our research underscores the necessity of considering slaughter techniques in nutritional assessments of meat. These findings not only contribute to our understanding of nutritional values of wild meat but also prompt further investigation into their role in human diets, especially among IPLC.