Consumers’PreferencesforSnailMeat
intheAfricanCommunityofPittsburgh,Pennsylvania
AResearchPaperPresentedfortheMasterofScienceinAgricultureandNaturalResourcesDegree
TheUniversityofTennesseeatMartin
DavidA.Olaleye
December2013
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ii
DEDICATION
Thisresearchpaperisdedicatedtomybeautifulandlovingwife,FatinmaOlaleye.
Sheismygreatestcheerleader,audience,andlife‐coach.Shehasbeensupportive
throughoutmylife’schallenges.TherewereseveraltimeswhenIthoughtabout
droppingoutofthisprogram,butshestoodbymyside,andkeptmegoing.Iwould
liketothankmykids,AdebolaJr.andAbiolaforkeepingmeonmytoes,andgiving
mereasonstofaceday‐to‐daychallenges.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
IwouldliketothankDr.BarbaraDarrochforallheradviceandsupportthroughout
mygraduatestudies,andwiththisresearchpaper.IwouldalsoliketothankDr.
JoeyMehlhornforhisassistanceincompletingthisresearchproject.Iamgrateful
fortheinformationandassistanceprovidedbyGlobalFoodsInc.Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
iv
ABSTRACT
Snailmeat,alsocalledescargot,ishighinproteinandiron,andcontains
almostalloftheaminoacidsneededforhumannutrition.InAfrica,snailshavebeen
harvestedinthewild,andsoldinmarketsfordecades,suchthattheGiantAfrican
Snail(GAS)(Archachatinamarginata)isboundforextinctionunlesspreservation
measureslikeextensivesnailfarmingareimplemented.InEurope,RomanSnails
(Helixpomatia)havebeenpickedintheforestforfoodasearlyastheRoman
Empire.Theobjectiveofthisstudywastodetermineconsumerpreferencefor
varioustypesofsnailmeat,andtheawarenessofsnailfarmingwithintheAfrican
communityinPittsburgh,Pennsylvania.Aconsumersurveywasconductedonthe
eastsideofPittsburgh,Pennsylvania.Datawereobtainedfrom131respondentsby
randomsampling,andsubjectedtodescriptivestatisticsandChi‐squareanalysisto
studyrelationshipsamongspecificdemographicandsocioeconomicfactors.The
resultsrevealed91%oftherespondentspreferredtheGAStothePeriwinkleSnail
orRomanSnail.Snailmeatconsumptionwasnotrelated(P>0.05)toincome,
education,orgender.Eighty–sevenpercentoftherespondentshadnever
consideredengaginginsnailfarming;however,ifgiventheopportunityto
supplementtheirincomethroughsnailfarming,52%oftherespondentswould
considersnailfarming.Respondentswithpreviousfarmexperience,ofanykind,
weremorelikely(P=0.0325)toindicateawillingnesstotrysnailfarming.Dueto
thefactthatliveGASisprohibitedintheUnitedStates,GAScanonlybepurchasedin
commerciallyprocessedforms(frozen,driedorcanned)importedfromAfrica.The
mainconstraintstosnailconsumptionareavailabilityandprice.Inconclusion,
v
increasedawarenessofthenutritionalcontentofsnailmeatamongconsumerswill
promotesnailconsumptioningeneral,increasethevarietiesconsumed,and
encouragesmall‐scalesnailfarmingby1stgenerationAfricansindiaspora,
especiallythosewithplanstoresettleinAfricainthefuture.
Keywords:Archachatinamarginata,Snailmeat,Farming,Consumption.
vi
TABLEOFCONTENTS
Page
CHAPTER1Introduction........................................................................................................................1
ResearchObjectives...................................................................................................................3
CHAPTER2LiteratureReview.............................................................................................................4
SnailSpeciesUsedforFood....................................................................................................4
NutritionalValueofSnailMeat..............................................................................................6
SnailFarming................................................................................................................................6
FactorsAffectingConsumptionofSnailMeat.................................................................9
CHAPTER3MaterialsandMethods................................................................................................11
CHAPTER4ResultsandDiscussion................................................................................................13
CHAPTER5Conclusion........................................................................................................................21
REFERENCES.............................................................................................................................................23
AppendixASurveyCoverLetter......................................................................................................26
AppendixBSurveyInstrument.........................................................................................................27
vii
LISTOFFIGURES
Figure1.Thetypesofsnailpreferredbyrespondentstothesurvey..............................15
Figure2.Constraintsaffectingsnailconsumption,asidentifiedbysurveyrespondents...............................................................................................................................................16
Figure3.Relationshipbetweenincomecategoriesandwhetherornottherespondentsatesnails..........................................................................................................................19
Figure4.Relationshipbetweenrespondentshavinganyfarmingexperienceandwhetherornotrespondentswouldconsidersnail‐farming................................................20
Figure5.Relationshipbetweenfarmingexperiencelevelandwhetherornotrespondentswouldconsidersnail‐farming.................................................................................20
LISTOFTABLES
Table1.Nutritionalvaluesofsnailmeatcomparedtothemeatofotherfoodanimals............................................................................................................................................................7
Table2.MineralCompositionofSnailMeat...................................................................................8
Table3.VitaminsinSnailMeat............................................................................................................8
Table4.Socio‐economicbackgroundofrespondents............................................................13
Table5.Numberandpercentageofrespondentsgroupedbythefrequencywithwhichtheyeatsnails.............................................................................................................................15
Table6.Wheredoyoubuysnails?.................................................................................................16
Table7.Numberandpercentageofrespondentsgroupedbythetypeofhomeinwhichtheylive........................................................................................................................................17
Table8.ResultsfromFisher’sExacttesttotestforrelationshipamongfactorsinthesurvey...................................................................................................................................................19
1
CHAPTER1
Introduction
Thereisnowrittendocumentationaboutthehistoryofsnailfarming.
However,intheMiddleAges,theRomanshadspecificgardenswheresnailswere
selectivelybredforeating.SnailhusbandryspreadthroughouttheRomanEmpire
butdiedoutbythelateMiddleAges(Nordsieck,2010).InEastandWestAfrica,due
totheirlargepopulations,snailsareconsumed,soldforincome,andexportedto
othercountries(Cobbinahetal.,2008).
Thenutritionalbenefitsofsnailmeatcannotbeoveremphasizedbecauseit
offersalltheaminoacidsrequiredbyman(Adeyeye,1996).Snailmeatishighin
protein,iron,andlowinfat(Agbogidietal.,2008).Snailconsumptionhasincreased
inAfricaduetomorepeopleavoidingredmeatforhealthreasons(Omoleet.al.,
2006).Unlikeotherextinction‐pronewildanimalsthatattractpublicorgovernment
intervention,theGiantAfricanSnail(GAS)hasreceivedlittletonointervention;if
measureslikesnailfarmingarenotpromoted,theGASmaydisappearfromour
forests.
Inrecenttimes,thewildsnailpopulationhasdeclinedconsiderablydue
mainlytotheimpactofmanandotheranthropogenicfactorsincluding
deforestation,slashandburnagriculturalpracticesandoverexploitationofthis
animalresourcetofeedagrowingpopulation.Hence,thefewremainingwildsnails
arecapturedbeforetheyreachmaturity(EsakandTakerhash,1992).
2
InCoted’Ivoire,anestimated7.5millionKgofsnailsareeatenannually
(Cobbinah,etal.2008).InCameroon,thegovernmenthasimprovedthesnail
farmingindustrybycreatingsnail‐processingfacilitiesforlocalsnailconsumption
andexport.Thesefacilitiescreatejobs,provideworkshops,andactasacooperative
boardbybuyingsnailsfromlocalproducers(Tebug,2006).
Franceistheworld’sleadingconsumerofsnailsfollowed,inorder,byItaly,
Spain,andGermany(Dragicevic&Baltic,2009).IndividualstatisticsontheUS
consumptionofsnailsarenotavailable;however,in1995,USimportsofsnailscame
from24countries,andwereworthmorethan$4.5million(Paulina,2012).
Asof2009,therewere1.5millionAfricanimmigrantsresidingintheU.S
(McCabe,2011).Withthispopulation,thedemandforGASwillexceedsupply
becauseonlyafewAfricangrocerystoressellsnailmeat,andtheycarryonlyfrozen
meat.Thiscreatesscarcityandhighpricesforsnailmeatatthesegrocerystores.
ThePittsburghAfricancommunityisatypicalexample,whereGASisonlyavailable
locallyatGlobalFoods.
3
ResearchObjectives
Thisstudywasdesignedtomeetthefollowingresearchobjectives:
1. Collectdemographicdataonsnailconsumers.
2. Identifythetypesofsnailpreferredbyconsumers.
3. Determinetheconstraintsofsnailconsumptionwithinthecommunity.
4. Increasetheawarenessofthenutritionalvalueofsnailmeatamongthe
Africancommunity.
5. Assesstheawarenessofsmall‐scalesnailfarmingwithintheAfrican
CommunityofPittsburghPennsylvania.
4
CHAPTER2
LiteratureReview
SnailSpeciesUsedforFood
OfsnailspeciesfoundinAfrica,themostpopularareAchatinafulica,
AchatinaachatinaandArchachatinamarginata.InNigeria,Archachatinamarginata
isthemostpopular,whileinGhana;Achatinaachatinaisconsideredbestfor
consumption.Landsnailscollectedfromtheforesthavetraditionallybeenamajor
partoftheWestAfricandiet(Ejidike,2002).Archachatinamarginataisalargesnail,
growingupto20cmandweighingupto500g(AmusanandOmidiji,1999).Unlike
otherArchachatinaspecies,itsshellislesspointed.Archachatinamarginataisgrey,
withaheadthatisdarkerthantherestofitsbody.DuetoitsAfricanrainforest
origin,itisbestsuitedforsnailfarminginNigeria.Achatinaachatinacangrowupto
30cm,andhasacharacteristicstripepatternandpointedshell.Achatinafulica,like
theArchachatinamarginata,cangrowupto20cmbutaveragesonly250ginweight
(Cobbinahetal.,2008).
TheArchachatinamarginataspeciesthrivesbestinenvironmentswith
temperaturesof25to30oC,andayear‐roundrelativehumidityof75‐95%;
otherwisethesnailswillgointohibernationordormancy(Pollard,1975).Whilein
dormancy,thesnail’sshellissealedoffbyawhite,calcareouslayertopreventwater
lossfromthebody.
5
TheRomanSnail(HelixPomatia),isalandsnailfoundalloverEurope.
Romansnailsliveinforest,gardens,vineyards,andalongrivers;theyhavebeen
pickedformillenniatoserveasfoodsincetheRomanEmpire,hencethename,
RomanSnail.(Nordsieck,2010).Withamaximumwidthof45mm,RomanSnails
arefoundonwelldrainedlime‐richsoils.(Swansonetal.,2011).
Abalone(Haliotidae),oftencalledearsnailduetotheirroundedandhighly
archedshapedshellthatresemblesanear,areedibleseasnailsfoundprimarilyoff
thesoutherncoastofNewZealand,SouthAfricaandAustraliaandWestNorth
AmericaandJapanintheNorthernHemisphere.Abalonefeedonalgae,andittakes
uptofouryearstoreachharvestsize.(Dept.ofFisheriesWA2013).
QueenConch(LobatusGigas)isaspeciesoflargeedibleseasnailthatare
gonochoristicinnature.Unlikemostothersnailspecies,whicharehermaphroditic,
QueenConchisdistinctivelymaleandfemale(NOAA2013).Queenconchisfoundin
theGreaterCaribbeantropicalzone,includingJamaicaandtheTurksandCaicos
Islands(BritishWestIndies)(NOAA2013).AlthoughQueenConchmeatisservedat
seafoodrestaurantsintheUnitedStates,theyareimportedfromtheCaribbeandue
tothebanonitsharvestinU.S.coastalwaters(Cruz2013).
PeriwinkleSnails(LittorinnaLittorea)aresmallediblelandsnailsthatare
foundfromNorthernSpaintotheWhiteSea,RussiainEurope,andalongthe
AtlanticcoastofNewEnglandandCanada.PeriwinkleSnailareovalshaped,
growingupto10‐12mminwidthandupto52mminheightatmaturity,overalife
spanof5‐10years(BBC2005).
6
NutritionalValueofSnailMeat
Snailmeatprovidesalargeamountofproteinandiscomparabletopoultry,
pork,andbeefforproteincontent(Table1).Amongallspeciesofsnailsconsumed
inAfrica,theGAS(Archachatinamarginata)offersthemostprotein,andother
minerals,suchasiron,magnesium,calcium,phosphorous,potassium,andsodium,
requiredforpropergrowthanddevelopmentinhumanbeings(Fagbuaroetal.,
2006).Snailsarereportedtohavelowlipidcontentandsaturatedfattyacids,which
helpspreventheartrelateddiseases(Ajayi,1978).Snailmeatisasourceofvital
mineralsandvitaminsrequiredfornormaltissuedevelopmentandmaintenance
(Tables2and3).Itslowcholesterolcontentmakesitasuitablemeatforthose
sufferingfromdiabetes,hypertension,andotherheartdiseases(Funmilayo2008).
AsreportedbyAdemoluetal.(2004),snailsprefervegetablesmorethananyother
kindoffood.Therefore,properlyraisedsnailwillofferanutritiousfood.
SnailFarming
Thesnailfarmingbusinessisoftenportrayedasaprofitablebusiness
(Odunaiya,1995);thismaybetrueifitismanagedproperly.Snailfarmingor
heliculturerangesfrombackyardsnailfarms,toasmall‐scalesnailery,tolarge‐scale
commercialsnailfarms.Thecapitalrequirementforestablishingasnaileryissmall,
andunlikeothersmallfarmventures,thepracticerequireslittlelaborwithno
strenuousphysicalexertion(Goodman,2008).Snailfarmingcouldbepracticed
7
Table1.Nutritionalvaluesofsnailmeatcomparedtothemeatofotherfoodanimals
Fooditems Carbohydrate Protein Fat Ash Water1.Snailmeat 2.93 20.7 1.21 1.49 73.72.(a)Beef(b)Pork(c)Lamb
‐‐‐
17.511.915.7
22.045.027.7
0.90.60.8
60.042.056.0
3.Poultry(a)Chicken(b)Duck(c)Turkey(d)Driedfish
‐‐‐‐
20.216.220.260.0
12.630.020.221.0
1.01.01.015.0
81.868.679.34.0
4.Milk(a)Cow(wholemilk)(b)Goat
5.04.5
3.53.8
3.84.8
0.70.8
87.386.4
6.Eggs(a)Whiteofeggsmallamount(b)Yolkofeggsmallamount
10.5
15.5
Smallamount
33.5
1.0
1.0
88.049.5
Note:AshcontainsthemineralsSource:Wosu(2003)
8
Table2:Mineralcompositionofsnailmeat
MINERAL UNIT Amount/100g
Calcium mg 10.0
Iron mg 3.5
Magnesium mg 2.5
Phosphorus mg 272.0
Potassium mg 382.0
Sodium mg 70.0
Zinc mg 1.0
Copper mg 0.4
Selenium µg 27.4
Source: USDA (2006)
Table3:Vitaminsinsnailmeat
COMPONENT UNIT CONTENT
Thiamin mg 0.01
Riboflavin mg 0.12
Niacin mg 1.40
VitaminB6 mg 0.13
Folate µg 6.0
VitaminB12 µg 0.50
VitaminA IU 100.0
VitaminE mg 5.0
VitaminK µg 0.10
Source:USDA(2006)
9
withinthebackyardofahousebecausesnailsrequirelittlespace(Ejidike,2002).
Thesuccessofasnail‐breedingventurebeginswithchoosingthemostsuitable
speciesforproduction. Settingupasnaileryathomeinyourbackyardcouldbeas
simpleasgatheringafewoldtiresoroildrums,andintroducingcarefullyselected
snailsforbreeding(Cobbinahetal.,2008).SnailfarmingintheU.S.isuncommon;
however,ahandfulofindividualshavebeenknowntoraisesnailsasahobbyorfor
income(KangandPailthorp,2013).
FactorsAffectingConsumptionofSnailMeat
Priceisamajorconstrainttosnailmeatconsumption;duetoitsscarcity,
snailmeatismoreexpensivethanothermeatoffoodanimals.Atthetimeofthis
research,snailmeat(GSA)atGlobalFoodswas$15.98perpound,whiletheaverage
priceforUSDAChoicesirloinsteakandbonelesschickenbreastatthelocalgrocery
storeswere$5.99and$2.99perpound,respectively.
Cleaningandpreppinglivesnailsforcookingisaconstraintbecauseit
involvesseveralprocesseswhichincludestoringthesnailsinbucketorsackina
shadedandcoolplaceforupto4dayswithoutfood,toenablethesnailsto
dischargeallalimentsintheirintestinaltract(Cobbinahetal.,2008).Upon
extractionofthesnailmeatfromitsshell,thesnailrequireswashingwithvinegaror
limeorlemonjuiceseveraltimestoremovetheslimeonitsbody.Thenitrequires
parboilingwithsaltandvinegartokillanylikelybacteria(Cobbinahetal.,2008).
Althoughsnailmeatisverynutritious,therearemanysuperstitiousbeliefs
aboutsnails;whilesomearepositive,othersportraytheeatingofsnailsasataboo.
Someculturesbelievethateatingsnailsmakesanindividualsluggishorslowdueto
10
theslimynatureofthesnail’ssecretion.Somereligions,suchasIslamandthe
Jewishfaith,prohibiteatingofsnailmeat(Cobbinahetal.,2008).
11
CHAPTER3
MaterialsandMethods
AquestionnairewasdevelopedandapprovedbytheUniversityofTennessee
atMartinInstitutionalReviewBoard(13‐226‐E05‐4005).Thesurveywas
conductedatGlobalFoodsInc,apopularmulti‐ethnicgrocerystoreinPittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.ThesurveytookplacedailyfromMarch2,2013toApril10,2013
between10amand4pm.Customerswereselectedbyrandomandsystematic
samplinginthestore,andwereaskedtocompletequestionnairesbefore
approachingthecheckoutline.Outof197customersaskedtopartakeinthesurvey,
atotalof131respondentscompletedthequestionnairesgivinga66.5%response
rate.Thequestionnairewasdesignedtoobtaindataabouttheirsnailmeat
consumption,snailfarmingawareness,andsocio‐economicbackground.
StatisticalAnalysis
Completedquestionnaireswereaggregatedanddescriptivestatistics(means
andpercentages)werecalculated,usingMicrosoftExcel.UsingSAS(SASVersion9.3,
SASInstituteInc,CaryNC)thechi‐squaretestandFisher’sExacttestwereusedto
examinethefollowingrelationshipsamongvariables:
1. Wasincome,educationlevel,orgenderrelatedtowhetherornot
respondentsatesnailmeat?
2. Wasincome,educationlevel,orgenderrelatedtofrequencyofsnailmeat
consumption?
3. Wasincomerelatedtotheconstraintsaffectingconsumptionofsnailmeat?
12
4. Wasfrequencyofsnailmeatconsumptionrelatedtoawarenessofits
nutritionalvalue?
5. Wasfarmexperience(yesorno),degreeoffarmexperience,orhome‐type
relatedtowillingnesstofarmsnails?
13
CHAPTER4
ResultsandDiscussion
Outof131respondentsofthesurvey,55%weremale,and45%werefemale.
Eighteenpercentofrespondentsdidnotindicatetheirlevelofeducation,andthe
majorityoftheotherrespondentshadobtainedaBachelorsdegree(Table4).The
majorityofsurveyrespondentshadanannualhouseholdincomeoflessthan
$48,000(Table4).ThisstudytookplaceinapredominantlyAfricancommunity,so
responsestothesurvey,mayhavebeeninfluencedbytheethnicbackgroundsof
respondents.
Table4.Socio‐economicbackgroundofsurveyrespondents.
Profile Percentage(%) Totalrespondents
Highestlevelofeducation Highschool 25.2 107
Associates 23.4
Bachelors 38.3
Graduate 12.1
AnnualHouseholdIncome Below$24K 40.0 95
$24k‐$48K 44.2
$48K‐$72K 8.4
Above$72K 7.4
14
Thirty‐fivepercentoftherespondentsdidnoteatsnails,andofthe
respondentswhoatesnail,most(91%)preferredtheGiantAfricanSnail(GAS)over
thePeriwinkleSnail,andRomansnailrespectively(Figure1).Outof85
respondents,69%consumedsnailsoccasionally;22%atesnailsonetothreetimes
perweek(Table5).
Constraintstosnailconsumption(indicatedby85respondents)included
availability(32%),price(41%),andcleaning(27%)asshowninFigure2.
AvailabilityandpriceconstraintscouldbeattributedtothefactthatGAScanonlybe
purchasedincommerciallyprocessedforms(frozen,driedorcanned)imported
fromAfrica.AdditionalcommentsfromrespondentsclaimingthatliveGASwas
bannedintheUSwereverifiedatthewebsiteoftheAnimalandPlantHealth
InspectionServicedepartmentoftheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture
(USDA,2013).LiveGASisbannedintheUSduetothespecies’voraciousappetite.
GASisknowntoeatatleast500typesofplantsincludingpeanuts,beans,cucumbers
andmelon.Iffruitsorvegetablearenotavailable,thesnailswilleatawidevariety
ofornamentalplants,treebark,andevenpaintstuccoonhouses(Akinnusi,1998;
Akintomide,2004).
Whenaskedwheretheynormallypurchasedtheirsnails,themajority(80%)
ofrespondentsindicatedthattheyboughttheirsnailsfromthelocalgrocerystore
(Table6).Thishighpercentageislikelyinfluencedbythefactthatthesurveywas
conductedatagrocerystore.However,theonlygrocerystorethatsellsGSAin
Pittsburgh,PAisGlobalFoodsInc.
15
Figure1.Thetypesofsnailpreferredbyrespondentstothesurvey(n=85).
Table5.Numberandpercentageofrespondentsgroupedbythefrequencywithwhichtheyeatsnailmeat.
Respondents Percentage (%)
Occasionally 59 69.4
Once a week 9 10.6
2-3 times a week 9 10.6
Twice a month 8 9.4
Total 85 100.0
GiantAfricanSnail90%
Periwinklesnail6%
RomanSnail4%
16
Figure2.Constraintsaffectingsnailconsumption,asidentifiedbysurveyrespondents(n=85)
Table6.Wheredoyoubuyyoursnails?
Respondents Percentage (%)
Grocery store 68 80.0
Online 4 4.7
Farmer's Market 3 3.5
Restaurant 10 11.8
Total 85 100.0
Availability32%
Price41%
Cleaning27%
17
Whenaskediftheyhadanyanimalfarmingexperience,38%ofrespondents
claimedtohavesometypeofanimalfarmingexperience.Thisfactormayhave
influencedthepercentage(52%)ofrespondentswhoarewillingtoengageinsnail
farming,ifgiventheopportunity.Thereisarenewedinterestinsnailfarmingasa
growingnumberofpeoplearebecominghealthconsciousinNigeria,andare
avoidingredmeat(Omoleet.al.,2006).Startingasmall‐scalesnailfarmrequires
littlespace,minimalresources,commitment,andnofarmingexperience;therefore
mostrespondentsofthissurveywerepotentialsnailfarmers.
Whereashalfoftherespondentsconfirmedtheirreadinesstoengageinsnail
farming,only30%livedinahousewithabackyard(Table7).Withabackyardanda
handfulofoldtiresordrums,asnaillerycanbeestablished(Cobbinahetal.,2008).
MostsnailspeciescanberaisedathomeintheUnitedStatesexceptfortheGAS,due
toitsbanbytheUSDA.However,specialpermitsmayberequiredandother
regulationsneedtobefollowedtoraiseanytypeofsnailsintheU.S.(USDA,2013).
Table7.Numberandpercentageofrespondentsgroupedbythetypeofhomeinwhichtheylive.
Respondents Percentage (%)
Apartment 44 33.6
Condo 19 14.5
House w/o backyard 28 21.4
House with backyard 40 30.5
Total 131 100.0
18
AccordingtoFisher’sexacttest,whetherornottherespondentsatesnail
meatwasnotsignificantlyrelatedtoincome,educationlevel,orgender(Table8).In
addition,frequencyofsnailmeatconsumptionwasnotrelatedtoincome,education
levelorgender(Table8).Although41%ofrespondentsindicatedthatpricewasa
constraintthataffectedsnailmeatconsumption,incomelevelwasnotrelated(P=
0.4280)towhetherornottheyatesnails(Figure3),norwasincomelevelrelatedto
thefrequencywithwhichtheyatesnailmeat(P=0.4886;Table8).Incomelevel
wasalsonotrelatedtothetypeofconstraintindicatedbytherespondents(P=
0.0775;Table8).Therewasnorelationship(P=0.2388)betweenfrequencyofsnail
meatconsumptionandawarenessofnutritionalvalue,indicatingthatbeingaware
ofthenutritionalvalueofthemeatdidnotnecessarilyincreaseconsumption.
Pastexperiencewithfarmingwassignificantly(P=0.0325;Table8)related
towhetherornotrespondentswouldconsidersnailfarming(Figure4).However,
whenthosewithexperienceinfarmingwereaskedtoratetheirlevelofexperience
(belowaverage,average,oraboveaverage),thelevelofexperiencewasnotrelated
(P=0.1709)towillingnesstotrysnailfarming(Figure5).
19
Table8.ResultsfromFisher’sExacttesttotestforrelationshipsamongfactorsinthesurvey.
*Asignificancelevelof0.05wasused.
Figure3.Therelationshipbetweenincomecategoriesandwhetherornottherespondentsatesnails.Fisher’sexacttestP=0.428.Numbersaboveeachbarrepresentcountsforeachcategory.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Below$24K $24Kto$48K $48Kto$72K Above$72K
PercentofRespondentswithineach
IncomeCategory
IncomeCategory
Yes No
6
25
13
24
184 4
1
Factorstestedforrelationship P‐valueforFisher'sExactTest*
Income vs. whether or not they eat snail meat 0.4280
Education vs. whether or not they eat snail meat 0.4248
Gender vs. whether or not they eat snail meat 1.0000
Income vs. frequency of consumption of snail meat 0.4886
Gender vs. frequency of consumption of snail meat 0.1273
Education vs. frequency of consumption of snail meat 0.1137
Income vs. constraints affecting consumption of snail meat 0.0775
Frequency of consumption of snail meat vs. awareness of its nutritional value 0.2388
Farm experience (yes or no) vs. willingness to farm snails 0.0325
Amount of farm experience vs. willingness to farm snails 0.1709
Home type vs. willingness to farm snails 0.8327
20
Figure4.Relationshipbetweenrespondentshavinganyfarmingexperienceandwhetherornotrespondentswouldconsidersnailfarming.Fisher’sexacttestP=0.0325.Numbersaboveeachbarrepresentcountsforeachcategory.
Figure5.Relationshipbetweenfarmingexperiencelevelandwhetherornotrespondentswouldconsidersnailfarming.Fisher’sexacttestP=0.1709.Numbersaboveeachbarrepresentcountsforeachcategory.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Haveexperience Havenoexperience
%ofrespondentswithineachgroup
Willingnesstofarmsnails
Yes‐Willing
Nonot‐willing
36
1836
45
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
BelowAverage Average AboveAverage
Percentw
ithineachfarm
experiencecategory
FarmingExperience
yes
No
18
14
9
4
5
21
Chapter5
Conclusion
MoreimmigrantsofAfricanethnicityprefertheGAScomparedtoothertypes
ofsnail.Itmaybepossibletoincreasesnailconsumptionifconstraintssuchas
availabilityandpricecanbealleviatedbymeansofincreasedimportation,and
awarenesswithintheAfricancommunity.Manyrespondentsareunawarethatthere
areonlinemulti‐ethnicstoresthatsellandshipfrozensnailswithintheUnited
States.Snailspurchasedinthiswaymayalleviateallconstraintstosnail
consumptionasexpressedbytherespondents.Thesnailsarecleanedbefore
packagingandshipping,whicheliminatesthetediouscleaningprocess.Theymaybe
cheaperthansnailspurchasedlocally,becauseonlinestoresmayhavelessoverhead
costs,whichmayreflectintheirprices.Buyingonlineofferstheconsumeravariety
ofstorestochoosefrom,whicheliminatestheissueofavailability.Theprotein
contentofsnailmeatequalsthatofredmeat,whichisconsideredbysometobe
harmfultothebody.
Raisingsnailsrequiresminimalresourcesincludinglesstimecommitment,
littlecapital,andnospecialfeedscomparedtootheranimalsthatareraisedfor
food.ExceptfortheGAS,whichisprohibitedintheUnitedStates,theUSDAhas
stipulatedcontainmentguidelinesfornon‐indigenoussnails(RomanSnail‐Helix
pomatia,BrownSnail‐Helixaspersa,etc)thatareraisedbyindividuals,educators,
researchersorcommercialentitiesintheUS.Thirtypercentoftherespondentslive
inahousewithabackyard,whichmakesitpossibleforthemtoraisesnailsona
22
smallscale.Topreservesnailsinthewild,andpreventtheGASfromextinction,
snailfarmingshouldbepromotedthroughadvocatingthenutritionalvalue,and
increasedfundingforpotentialfarmers.Fifty‐twopercentoftherespondents
expressedtheirwillingnesstoengageinsnailfarmingifgiventheopportunitybut
raisingtheGASisonlyfeasibleforthoserespondentswhoplanonreturningto
Africainthefuture.Currently,inNigeria,demandexceedssupply,suchthatmost
snailfarmershavesupplycontractswithmajorfoodbusinesses.Snailfarming
shouldbestartedonasmallscaletoexperiencethebenefitsandchallengesofthe
business.Itisbesttostartthebusinessasapart‐timeoccupation.
23
References
Ademolu,K.O.,A.B.Idowu,C.F.Mafiana,andO.A.Osinowo.2007.Performance,proximateandmineralanalysisofAfricangiantlandsnail(Archachatinamarginata)feddifferentnitrogensources.Tropicalveterinarian25(4):124‐131.
Adeyeye,E.I.1996.Wasteyield,ProximateandmineralCompositionofthreedifferenttypesoflandsnailfoundinNigeria.InternationalJournalofFoodScienceandNutrition42(2):111‐116.
Agbogidi,O.M.,B.C.OkontaandE.L.Ezeani.2008.EffectsoftwoediblefruitsonthegrowthperformanceofAfricangiantlandsnail,(Archachatinamarginata).JournalofAgriculturalandBiologicalSciences3(3):26–29.
Ajayi,S.S.1978.ObservationofbiologicalandnutritivevalueoftheAfricangiantsnail.(Arnachatinamarginata).EastAfricanWildlifeJournal4:85‐95.
Akinnusi,O.1998.Introductiontosnailfarming.OmegaPublishers,Lagos,Nigeria
Akintomide,I.A.2004.Tropicalsnailfarming.OakVenturesPublishers,Lagos,Nigeria.Pp.5–6.
Amusan,J.A.,andM.O.Omidiji.1999.EdibleLandSnail:ATechnicalGuidetoSnailFarmingintheTropics.VerityPrinterLimited,Ibadan,Nigeria.
BBC.2005.Animalfactfiles.ScienceandNature:Animals.www.bbc.co.uk/nature/blueplanet/factfiles/molluscs/periwinkle_bg.shtml
Cobbinah,J.R.,A.VinkandB.Onwuka.2008.SnailFarming:Production,processingandmarketing.AgromisiaFoundation,Wageningen.1stEd.
Cruz,A.2013.Queenconchcouldonedaybeonendangeredspecieslist.www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_martin_county/queen‐conch‐could‐one‐day‐be‐on‐endangered‐species‐list
DepartmentofFisheries,WesternAustralia.2013.Abalone.http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/species/abalone/Pages/default.aspx
Dragicevic,O.,andM.ZBaltic.2005.SnailMeat–SignificanceandConsumption.
Ejidike,B.N.2002.SnailrearingpracticesinSouthernNigeria.NigerianSocietyforAnimalProduction.27thAnnualConference.March17‐21,2002.Akure.Nigeria.pp.307‐308.
Esak,K.O.,andI.S.Takerhash.1992.Snailsaspestandfood.MalaysianJournalofEconomicAgriculture59:359–367.
24
Fagbuaro,O.,J.A.Oso,J.B.Edward,andR.F.Ogunleye.2006.NutritionalstatusoffourspeciesofgiantlandsnailsinNigeria.JournalofZhejiangUniversity.ScienceB.vol.7(9).
Funmilayo,S.M.2008.PreliminaryinvestigationofthegrowthperformanceofGiantLandSnail(Archachatinamarginata)fedwithselectedhouseholdwastes.AfricanJournalofAgriculturalResearch3(9):647–649
Goodman,A.K.2008.GiantAfricanlandsnails.RetrievedApril14,2013,fromhttp://www.geocities.com/heartland/valley/6210/index1.htm
Kang,M.,andB.Pailthorp.2013.SnailrancherraisingtheoriginalslowfoodatQuilceneEscargotiereQuirksee.http://www.quirksee.org/2013/08/19/quilcene‐washington‐ric‐brewer‐raising‐snails‐the‐original‐slow‐food‐at‐little‐gray‐farms‐escargot/
McCabe,K.2011.AfricanImmigrantsintheUnitedStates.Washington,D.C:MigrationPolicyInstitute.Retrieved:October7,2011http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=847
NOAA.2013.QueenConch.NationalOceanicandatmosphericAdministration.http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/invertebrates/queenconch.htm
Nordsieck,R.2010Thelivingworldofmolluscshttp://molluscs.at/gastropoda/terrestrial/helix.html
Odunaiya,O.1995.SnailsandsnailfarminginNigeria.UIUniversityPressLtd,Ibadan.1st
Ed.
Omole,A.J.,J.A.Oluokun,J.B.FapoundaandJ.Osayemi.2006.TheEffectsofDifferentStockingRatesonGrowthandReproductivePerformanceofBreedingSnail(Archachatinamarginata)underIntensiveSystemofProductionintheHumidTropics.InternationalDigitalOrganizationforScientificInformationvol.1.No.1:33‐35.
Paulina,A.2012.Escargot.Blog.Anapaulina.com.RetrievedApril18,2013,fromhttp://blog.anapaulina.com/2012/03/13/escargot.aspx
Pollard,E.,1975.AspectsoftheecologyofHelixpomatia.JournalofAnimalEcology44:305‐329.
Swanson,A.,D.HeaverandM.J.Willing.2011.Romansnailsanddevelopment.TIN103edition1‐3.pdfhttp://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/91033
Tebug,O.E.2006.SnailFarmingAsSourceOfEmployment.Postnewsline.RetrievedNovember15,2012,fromhttp://www.postnewsline.com/2006/09/snail_farming_a.html
USDA.2006.Nutritionalvalueofthesnail.USDAStandardReference19.2006.www.usda.gov
25
USDA.2013.Regulatedorganismsandsoilpermits.AnimalandPlantInspectionService.
www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/permits/organism/snails_slugs.shtmlWosu,I.O.2003.CommercialsnailfarminginWestAfrica:Aguide.ApExpressPublishers
Ltd,Nsukka.
26
AppendixA
GlobalFoodsIncorporationCustomerSurvey.
InformedConsentStatement
GlobalFoodsIncorporationSurvey2013
ThissurveyisbeingconductedbytheUniversityofTennesseeatMartin(UT
Martin),DepartmentofAgriculture,Geosciences,andNaturalResources.Thesurvey
isdesignedtoinformthepublicaboutthemoneymakingopportunitiesinsmall‐
scalesnailfarming.Yourresponse,andanypersonalinformationgiveninthis
surveyareconfidential.Noinformationwillbereleasedtoanythirdparty.Alldata
collectedinthissurveywillbeaggregated,andonlysummarizedinformationwillbe
used.Youmaychoosenottoansweranypartorquestiononthesurvey,andmay
discontinuethesurveyatanytime.Surveyresultswillbestoredseparatelyfrom
thisconsentdocument,whichwillbekeptinalockedcabinetforthreeyearsinthe
facultyadvisor’soffice,perUniversityofTennesseeatMartinIRBrequirements.
Thankyouforyourparticipationinthissurvey.
Sincerely,
DavidOlaleye
UniversityofTennesseeatMartin
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Ihavereadtheaboveinformationandagreetoparticipateinthissurvey.I
understandthatparticipationisvoluntary.Imaychoosetonotansweranyquestion
orportionofthesurveyandImaywithdrawatanytime.
Signature:__________________________________________Date:____________________________
27
AppendixB
1.Doyoueatsnails?(Checkone)
YES NO
Ifyouansweredyes,gotoquestion2:ifyouansweredno,gotoquestion7.
2.Whattypeofsnaildoyoueat?(Circleone)
a. GiantAfricanSnail
b. Abalone
c. TheRomansnail
d. Tsalingaria
e. QueenConch
f. Periwinklesnail
3.Howdoyoulikeyoursnailcooked(Circleone)
a. Boiled
b. Fried
c. Raw
d. Grilled
4.Howoftendoyoueatsnails?Circleone)
a. Onceaweek
b. Two–threetimesaweek
c. Twiceamonth
d. Occasionally
5.Wheredoyoubuyyoursnails?
a. Grocerystore
b. Farmersmarket
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c. Restaurant
d. Online
6.Apartfromrestaurantpurchases,inwhatconditiondoyoubuyyoursnails?
a. Frozen
b. Canned
c. Dried
d. Live
7.Doyouhaveanyanimalfarmingexperience?(Checkone)
YES NO
8.Ifyouansweredyes,howwouldyoudescribeyourexperience?(Circleone)
a. Belowaverage
b. Average
c. Aboveaverage
9.Haveyoueverconsideredsnailfarming?(Checkone)
YES NO
Demographics
10.Sex(Circleone): Male Female
11.Age________________years
12.Highestlevelofeducationcompleted(Circleone)
a. Didnotcompletehighschool
b. HighSchool
c. AssociateDegree
d. Bachelordegree
e. Graduatedegree(MS,PhD,etc)
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f. ProfessionalDegree(MD,Lawyer,etc)
13.Whatisannualhouseholdincome?(Circleone)
a. Below$24,000
b. $24,000‐$48,000
c. $48,000‐$72,000
d. $72,000andabove
14.Ifgiventheopportunity,wouldyouliketosupplementyourincome?(Check
one)
YES NO
15.Whichofthefollowingdoyoulivein?(Circleone)
a. Apartment
b. Condo
c. Housew/oayard
d. Housewithayard
16.Pleaseprovideanyadditionalcommentshere(forexample,whatideasdohave
aboutsnailfarming?)
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