Genesis 9:5

"And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting.  I will demand an accounting from every animal.  And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man."  Genesis 9:5

 

Not only should mankind not eat any animal's blood, but there will be an accounting demanded of any animal or man that spills the blood of any man.  That means even the animals will be held accountable for killing a human.  What does that accounting look like?  Is this something that will be seen in this life or will it be seen to in the afterlife?  Whatever the difference is between mankind and animals, we can be comforted in knowing that God treasures each of our lives.

Genesis 9:4

"But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it."  Genesis 9:4

There is a stipulation to God's permission to eat meat - the meat must not have the blood in it.  The Hebrew can also be translated to read, "But you must not eat meat that has its life, that is the blood, still in it."  The wording also seems to explain why we shouldn't eat the blood, the blood has the life in it and life is sacred.