How did a word that meant "food" come to mean "meat, flesh of animals"?
Solution 1:
It is noticeable that the original meaning survives in the word mincemeat. This is distinct nowadays from minced meat.
Mincemeat
Minced meat
Check the list of ingredients in the following recipe. There is no animal flesh to be seen. Note that suet is included but this is animal fat, not animal flesh.
Traditional mincemeat