In today’s consumer market, there are conflicting views about the nutritional value of red meat. Because of different health studies, some people are unsure what to think about the product.

However, because of the negative publicity that red meat occasionally receives, some ISU professors think the public has misconceptions about meat.

“A lot has come from misinformation, particularly when the medical community got involved,” said F. C. Parrish, professor in animal science.

Some of the inaccurate information that Parrish said people have about red meat, which includes beef, pork and lamb products, is the amount of cholesterol found in the meat.

While some people believe that white meat is better in terms of cholesterol, cholesterol is found in all animal products, Parrish said.

Parrish has conducted a study on beef, pork and poultry, and he said it revealed that when cooked, thigh meat from poultry has the highest level of cholesterol.

Some people worry about the supposedly high fat content of red meat, but Parrish said that’s not really a problem.

“Really, there is not that high of fat content,” Parrish said. Meat is made up of both saturated and unsaturated fats, and it is a misconception that red meat is made up entirely of saturated fats, Parrish said.

Parrish said in addition to red meat having less fat than people might believe, it is high in nutritional value.

“[Meat] is a good-tasting food, and fortunately, from the good-tasting food we get a lot of nutrition,” he said. Not only is meat a good source of protein, but it is also a good source of iron, zinc and vitamin B, Parrish said.

Other misunderstandings include that cured red meats — which include frankfurters, bologna, ham and bacon — that contain nitrite are dangerous and can cause cancer.

“This is one of the major misconceptions,” said Joe Sebranek, university professor of animal science. He said this belief started about 30 years ago when nitrite was used at higher levels than it is used today.

Today, there’s a concern about sodium intake because of heart disease, and red meat is sometimes seen as the culprit.

“Fresh-meat products would provide about what we need on a daily dietary need for sodium and certainly not an excess,” Sebranek said. However, he said when eating cured meats, sodium intake should be monitored.

Parrish said the meat industry has made tremendous efforts in catering to the consumers’ dietary needs.

“The industry has picked up on the fact that people do not want to eat fat,” he said. “The industry has gone to bat to produce livestock that is much trimmer.”