Consumption of meat and its contribution to the standard proportion of calories of animal origin. The case of the communities of Flavio Alfaro, Manabí, Ecuador

Abstract

Meats constitute a group of foods, which provides high-quality protein to human beings. This work aims to analyze the structure of meat consumption, both domestic and wild, in Flavio Alfaro, Manabí, Ecuador and its caloric intake in the standard proportion of calories of animal origin. The data was obtained through a survey applied to 43 households in 2018. With this base, the energy content of each type of meat was calculated to determine then the number of calories provided by the meat consumed by the local population. The results show that percentages of kilocalories of the average daily intake, which come from fish (6.6%), chicken (6.4%), and armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) (5.8%) are the highest. These are calculated about the Ecuadorian Standard of Medium Requirement (NERM). It is concluded that the available animal protein sources satisfy the protein intake needs of the members of the households in the study area, contributing to the population’s food security. Likewise, the empirical findings indicate that domestic meat is the one that provides the most significant amount of energy for a healthy life of people.