That's not to say that kangaroo meat doesn't have risks. Researchers found that kangaroo meat contains a high amount of L-carnitine, a red meat compound that can encourage arterial plaque leading to heart disease, strokes, and heart attacks.
E-coli and Salmonella
Several studies show that the meat can be infected with relatively high numbers of E-coli, Salmonella and Toxoplasma gondii. The Australian kangaroo meat industry flouts the most basic hygiene rules, as research of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand shows.
Toxoplasmosis and Salmonellosis — two bacterial infections affecting kangaroos and human health. The infections can spread to humans through the handling, processing or consumption of infected kangaroo meat.
Compared to beef, kangaroo contains double the amount of iron and triple that of chicken and pork. Eating wild meats such as kangaroo is also better for your health as you can be sure there are no added growth hormones, antibiotics or chemicals.
The difference is that kangaroo meat is not tender as the beef fillet. It´s rather hard to cut, but still juicy. It was also a bit difficult to digest, as it usually happens with game meat. It tastes like beef, with a slight aftertaste of grass and eucalyptus leaves.
Kangaroo meat is a great source of these anti-inflammatory fatty acids that also help support a healthy heart.
You can, however, eat moderate portions of kangaroo or venison (e.g. deer, wild buffalo) on a low-cholesterol diet, because these meats are low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.
Australian beef, lamb and goat meat all contain 12 essential nutrients recommended for good health, including protein, iron, zinc, omega-3s, B vitamins (B12, B6, B5, niacin, riboflavin), magnesium, selenium and phosphorous.
Protein. When it comes to high-quality protein, kangaroo meat is definitely at the top of the list. A 150g serving of kangaroo fillet (pre-cooked) provides an average adult with 66% of their daily protein needs.
Kangaroo meat carries a naturally heavy parasite load — a single Western or Eastern Grey Kangaroo can be infected with up to 30,000 parasitic worms from up to 20 different nematode species, according to a summary report on the relevant research.
Kangaroo meat has a very high concentration of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) when compared with other foods. CLA has been attributed with a wide range of health benefits including anti-carcinogenic and anti-diabetes properties, in addition to reducing obesity and atherosclerosis.
Many people think kangaroos are farmed for their meat, but all the kangaroo meat on supermarket shelves and served up in restaurants comes from kangaroos harvested from wild populations. Four species are commonly harvested – red kangaroos, eastern and western grey kangaroos, and the common wallaroo.
It was always eaten by aboriginal Australians, for whom the succulent tail, roasted in a pitful of embers, is a particular delicacy. The early European settlers ate kangaroo out of necessity, and many eventually came to enjoy a red meat that didn't really taste so different from venison, hare or beef.
In fact, kangaroo meat is widely available in most Australian supermarkets along with emu, crocodile, camel and other “game meats”. Kangaroo meat had been consumed by indigenous Australians for centuries, but it was only in the last few decades that it's been legalized for human consumption across Australia.
The large numbers of helminths and wide range of parasite species found in grey kangaroos provide practical difficulties for parasite surveys.
Finally, health experts say to stay away from processed meats, which are generally considered to be unhealthy. These include any meat that has been smoked, salted, cured, dried, or canned. Compared to fresh meat, processed meats are high in sodium and can have double the amount of nitrates.
Healthiest options: turkey and chicken
When it comes to the healthiest meats that pack the biggest nutritional punch, turkey and chicken should be at the top of your (grocery) list, says Schiff. Both are about equal in terms of nutrition, with turkey tending to be leaner than chicken.
Is kangaroo meat nutritious? Kangaroo meat is incredibly nutritious! It's high in protein (slightly higher than beef), iron, and zinc, and even offers omega-3s, an essential nutrient that is usually associated with fish. Kangaroo is also a very lean meat with less than 2 per cent fat.
Past research has tied red meat to increased risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. The studies have also pointed to an elevated risk of mortality from red meat intake.
Wild Alaskan salmon, oysters and sardines are highest in healthy fats; white fish such as cod or flounder tend to be leaner. White meat has slightly less saturated fat than dark. Turkey is fairly comparable to chicken in nutrients, but both its dark and white meat are slightly leaner.
Kangaroo meat is actually quite healthy. Unlike standard red meats like beef and lamb, kangaroo meat is considered a lean read meat that is low in saturated fat and high in protein. It's also high in iron and zinc, packing a nutritional punch.
“Extremely low in fat, kangaroo meat has virtually no saturated fat,” she wrote. “Its levels of protein and zinc are similar to those of other meats, but it has more iron, twice as much vitamin B12 and higher levels of most other B vitamins.”
K-ROO is produced by Australia s leading manufacturer of kangaroo meat, Macro Meats. Based in South Australia, we re a family-owned and operated business that have a long history of innovation and excellence and have been proudly supplying Australians with kangaroo meat for the past 30 years.