Is Wild Game Meat Safe to Eat?

According to an article on MSNBC.com by Charles Q. Choi, a diet rich in meat may have been one of the key differences that allowed humans to evolve to live longer than any other primate. The meat-rich diets may be one of the reasons for our brain development as well as our ability to survive certain diseases. However, today we must be careful eating diets rich in meats due to the health problems associated with some of those diets. How does wild game meat fit into this puzzle? What are the health benefits of wild game meat and what are the health risks of wild game meat? Here are the pros and cons of wild game meat in a simple, quick summary.

Health Benefits of Wild Game Meat

*Game meat typically has less saturated fat, which is healthier than other fatty meats.

*Most game meat is lower in calories than domestic grain fed chicken, beef and pork.

*Wild game meat is high in Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke from atherosclerosis.

*Wild game meat, such as bison, is low in fat but high in iron, which makes this an excellent choice for women.

*Wild game meat is free of the growth hormones that are used in domestic meat.

*Elk and bison meat are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Health Risks of Wild Game Meat

*Wild game meat that is killed by hunters using firearms contains unsafe levels of lead according to the Colorado Department of Public Health. This seems to pose a significant health hazard when consuming wild game meat.

*Handling and processing wild game meat must be done properly to avoid disease. If not handled properly, wild game meat poses medical risks according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

*Risk of contracting trichinosis. Even though this has become rare, contracting trichinosis from undercooked or wild game meat is still a health risk that must be recognized when handling and consuming wild game meat.

*Health risks posed by wild game meat from animals that have been raised in areas that have contaminated soil or water. For example, the New York State Department of Health’s 2009-2010 Health Advisories for Sportfish and Game or the State of Michigan’s Wild Game Warning in 2004 when wild game was contaminated from dioxins.

Nutritional Value of Wild Game Meat

Wild game meat is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals that are essential for good health. Most wild game meat is lower in calories when compared to beef and pork and has less saturated fat. BestInExoticMeats.com has a list of nutritional values for wild game, birds and fowl.

Sources:

Charles Q. Choi. “Meat may be the reason humans outlive apes” (MSNBC.com,)

U. S. Department of Agriculture

MayoClinic.com

Iqbal, S, W Blumenthal, C Kennedy, FY Yip, S Pickard, WD Flanders, K Loringer, K Kruger, KL Caldwell and MJ Brown. 2009. Hunting with lead: Association between blood lead levels and wild game consumption. Environmental Research doi:10.1016/j.envres.2009.08.007.