Apple snails are well edible and are often considered a protein rich delicacy. Consuming these snails is therefore an interesting option in those area's where they have become a pest and treat for the rice and taro production. In such cases, eating these snails has two benefits: 1.
Collecting the snails is encouraged; 2. The diet of the farmers (especially in thirth world countries) is enriched with a protein source.
Nutritive value
The nutritional value of apple snails is relatively high. More precisely, the protein content of apple snail can make them a good protein source for humans.
For example the protein value of
Pomacea haustrum is
reported to be 72.9% for humans. In practise this means that out of 100 gram snail protein, 72.9 gram human body proteins can be made.
To understand this (skip this if you have a good knowledge about proteins), one has to know that proteins are made of chains of amino acids, and that there are 20 different amino possible acids in both snail as well human proteins. The ratio of each amino acid to the whole mass of proteins in the body differs from snails and humans. So if one eats apple snail meat, the human body cannot use all amino acids, simply because some amino acids are in overload and others are less available in comparison with the amino acid content of human proteins. The unused amino acids cannot be stored in the body, and will be degraded and used an energy
...I am not eating my snail...
