Abstract
Snails have been part of the human diet since pre-historic times. Numerous marine and terrestrial snail species are consumed worldwide. They are considered an important source of protein and minerals in many countries, especially in West Africa, Portugal, Poland, China, Morocco and several other Asian countries. One of the main advantages of snail meat is its low-fat content compared to traditional meat types. It contains a high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids and long-chain fatty acids. Methionine (met) and cysteine (cys) are the limiting amino acids in marine molluscs, land snails and their meats. However, essential amino acids in marine molluscs and land snails generally meet the daily requirement for humans, with the exception of the tryptophan requirements in infants and pre-schoolers. Bioaccumulation of minerals in snails might be of concern, so the monitoring of potentially toxic mineral concentrations in snails is important.
Several health concerns, such as allergenicity and the presence of pesticides and biotoxins, could be problematic for some species to be used as food. The majority of snails are sourced from the wild, and this is going to severely affect the snail population. The decline in the wild snail population is due to natural and human activities (deforestation for agricultural activities, pesticide use, competition for snails with animals and birds, and natural disasters such as fires, floods and algal blooms). These necessitate consideration of Heliculture and marine snail aquaculture.