BACKGROUND
This paper is a systematic review of manganese (Mn) content in goose meat and its nutritional relevance. Manganese is described as an essential trace element involved in antioxidant defense through manganese superoxide dismutase, amino acid, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism, bone formation, and thyroid hormone regulation. The authors note that Mn is obtained from air, water, and food, with plant foods generally containing more Mn than animal foods, but they highlight goose meat as a potentially useful dietary source in populations where it is commonly consumed. The review was designed to assess Mn concentrations in raw and cooked goose meat, summarize selected adequate intake (AI) recommendations, and compare goose meat Mn content with AI and nutrient reference values-requirements (NRV-R). The authors also emphasize that there are relatively few studies on Mn in goose meat.
METHODS
The review followed PRISMA guidance and searched Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and the AGRO bibliographic database. The search covered 1980–2022, English-language articles, and used combinations of “goose AND meat” with “manganese or mineral OR Mn.” Screening was based on title, abstract, keywords, or topic, depending on the database. Two reviewers worked independently and in parallel, with disagreements resolved by discussion. Initial searches returned 61 results, and 46 peer-reviewed papers were selected after duplicates were removed. Exclusion criteria were reviews, research notes, book chapters, and studies without data on manganese content in goose meat in the abstract or article content. The final review included 11 original studies, 5 reports from USDA FoodData Central, and 2 reports from food composition tables. Because this is a food composition systematic review rather than a clinical effectiveness study, the evidence base consisted mainly of compositional analyses of raw and thermally processed goose meat.
KEY RESULTS
The review found substantial variability in Mn content according to goose type, tissue sampled, and preparation method. In raw domestic goose meat from Poland, older studies reported carcass-level Mn concentrations of 0.17 ± 0.04 mg/kg, 0.38 mg/kg, 0.25 mg/kg, 0.26 mg/kg, 0.27 mg/kg, and 0.25 ± 0.06 mg/kg. Polish food composition tables listed 0.20 mg/kg, and a Taiwan market study reported 0.268 ± 0.073 mg/kg. USDA values for raw Anser anser were 0.24 mg/kg for meat only and 0.20 mg/kg for meat and skin. In Turkish goose, raw breast meat contained 0.2 mg/kg and raw leg meat 5.0 mg/kg, showing a marked muscle-type difference. In White Kołuda® goose breast muscle, raw Mn was 1.7 mg/kg dry mass without skin and 1.5 mg/kg dry mass with skin; the authors state this difference was not significant. In wild geese, Egyptian goose breast meat contained 0.6 ± 0.01 on a sex basis and 0.6 ± 0.08 by winter/summer season, with no significant differences, while raw skinless Canada goose contained 0.50 mg/kg.
Thermal processing also altered Mn content. USDA data showed 0.24 mg/kg in cooked roasted goose meat only and 0.23 mg/kg in cooked roasted meat and skin. Polish composition tables reported 0.30 mg/kg in cooked and roasted goose carcasses with skin versus 0.20 mg/kg in raw carcasses. In Turkish goose, breast and leg values after cooking were highly variable: boiled 0.7 ± 0.2 and 8.0 ± 8.0 mg/kg; grilled 0.4 ± 0.1 and 5.0 ± 3.0 mg/kg; pan fried without fat or oil 4.5 ± 6.0 and 3.4 ± 3.1 mg/kg; pan with oil 0.5 ± 0.5 and 16.3 ± 18.1 mg/kg; deep-fat fried 0.6 ± 0.7 and 2.1 ± 0.3 mg/kg; oven cooked 0.3 ± 0.3 and 2.4 ± 0.9 mg/kg; microwave 0.1 ± 0.1 and 1.15 ± 2.0 mg/kg. Oz and Celik reported that these changes were not statistically significant. In White Kołuda® goose breast muscle, water bath cooking yielded 2.7 mg/kg dry mass without skin and 1.4 mg/kg dry mass with skin; grilling yielded 2.0 and 3.8 mg/kg dry mass; oven convection roasting yielded 1.3 and 1.1 mg/kg dry mass; and pan frying yielded 1.1 and 1.3 mg/kg dry mass. Goluch et al. found significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher Mn in skinless water-bath-cooked muscle than pan-fried muscle, 2.7 vs. 1.1 mg/kg dry mass, and significantly (p ≤ 0.01) the highest Mn in grilled muscle with skin, 3.8 mg/kg dry mass, compared with raw 1.5, water bath cooking 1.4, oven convection roasting 1.1, and pan frying 1.3 mg/kg dry mass. The interaction between skin status and heat treatment was statistically significant (p ≤ 0.001). Cooked Egyptian goose breast contained 1.0 mg/kg.
The review then mapped these values against intake recommendations. Adult AI values cited were 1.8 mg/day for women and 2.3 mg/day for men from IOM, 3 mg/day from EFSA, 2.0–5.0 mg/day from DACH, and 5 mg/day for women and 5.5 mg/day for men from Australia and New Zealand. NRV-R values were 2 mg/day in EU labeling legislation and 3 mg in Codex. Based on the authors’ calculations, 100 g of raw Turkish goose leg meat covered 9.09–27.8% of adult AI values, while 100 g of raw White Kołuda® skinless breast covered 3.09–9.44%. Among cooked meats, 100 g of Turkish goose leg meat pan fried with oil covered 32.5–81.5% of AI, White Kołuda® grilled breast with skin covered 7.6–21.1%, and cooked Egyptian goose breast covered 10.9–33.3%. For NRV-R, the authors state that raw goose meat without skin covered 1.2–25% and with skin 1.0–7.5%, with the highest values generally seen in leg meat and selected cooked products.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
This review does not test patient outcomes, but it suggests goose meat can be a meaningful dietary source of manganese and may help diversify intake, especially because animal meat lacks phytates and fiber that can diminish mineral bioavailability. The authors link adequate Mn intake to bone health, insulin secretion and glucose metabolism, oxidative stress biology, and neuropsychiatric function, citing associations between lower Mn status and osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome components, depression, and schizophrenia. Their practical recommendation is that Mn content and NRV-R contribution could be listed on goose meat packaging to guide consumer choice. They also conclude that the evidence base is small and that more research is needed on Mn concentration and retention across different goose breeds, cuts, and cooking techniques.