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Food Science

Red Meat Vs Dark Meat: What's The Difference? By Amrita Ray Sept. 29, 2025 7:39 pm EST

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You've probably been warned about the dangers of eating red meat every day , or maybe you've been politely nudged to stick to white meat instead. But have you ever heard of dark meat in that context, or even otherwise? If you have, and wondered what the difference is, or if dark meat is the same as red meat, well, it's not. A good way to understand this is by looking at the difference between red meat and white meat.

The USDA defines red meat as any meat obtained from mammals, while white meat, as you guessed, is not sourced from mammals. White meat is white in its uncooked state and stays light after cooking (unlike pork). When it comes to

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