By FMT’s Lifestyle Section
Whether they’re bred in captivity or caught in the wild, a new study shows that eating reptiles comes with a broad range of health risks. In various cultures around the world, it’s become common, even trendy, to eat turtle, crocodile and alligator, as well as various species of snake and lizard. Whether you subscribe to the notion, “Let’s get them before they get us”, or are just intrigued to try something new, biologists would encourage you to think twice.
Many species of reptile are bred in captivity primarily for their skins, but some are reared exclusively for their meat – both by ‘poor’ societies with a tradition of consuming reptiles, as well as by ‘rich’ communities in which gourmet restaurants peddle the latest exotic gastronomic delights.
But reptile meat can be riddled with parasites, bacteria and viruses, and to a lesser extent, contamination from heavy metals and residues of veterinary drugs – and can cause severe health problems if consumed. This is the conclusion of a study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology, which shows that diseases that can be contracted from reptile meat consumption include trichinosis, pentastomiasis, gnathostomiasis and sparganosis.
“The clearest microbiological risk comes from the possible presence of pathogenic bacteria, especially Salmonella, and also Shigella, E. coli, Yersinia enterolitica, Campylobacter, Clostridium and Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause illnesses of varying degrees of severity,” Simone Magnino, lead author of the study and a researcher for the World Health Organization (WHO), said. “Although the majority of the information published about these risks is in relation to reptiles raised as domestic animals (pets), there are also publications relating to wild species or those bred in captivity,” explains Magnino.
And from a compassionate eating perspective, though it may be difficult to summon the same level of affection for a crocodile that you might feel for a cute, furry farm animal, bear in mind that reptiles are amazing creatures which also feel distress and pain. What’s more, they play critical roles in their ecosystems – so the knowledge that eating them may make you very ill is just one more reason to let them be.
First published in the world’s premier meat-free lifestyle platform, www.KindMeal.my