Venison Food Facts

The term venison was originally used to describe the meat of any animal killed by hunting. Today however; the term venison is taken to exclusively mean the meat from any one of a number of species of deer regardless of whether it is hunted or farmed.

Venison Changing Attitudes

Up until recently; in the United States, venison was regarded as a meat for unsophisticated rural dwellers. This attitude is rapidly changing with venison now being promoted to urbanites as a meat no less exotic than ostrich meat. Cuts of venison typically eaten include: steaks, roasts, sausages, jerky and even minced meat.

Venison Advantages and Benefits

With a flavor somewhat like that of beef; but much leaner, and with short and tender meat fibers venison consumption is rapidly expanding. Two critical factors accelerating this trend are the very low fat content of venison and its comparatively cheaper cost to the consumer.

Being lower in calorific, cholesterol and fat content than most cuts of beef, pork and lamb venison is being recommended by nutritionists to those wishing to lose weight as well as those who need to rigorously adhere to as fat free a diet as possible. This later group includes those with liver disease (for example hepatitis).

Venison Production and Marketing

Venison is widely available in European supermarkets throughout the traditional European hunting season, (October to December) with the main cuts offered for retail sales being derived from the saddle and the hind leg. Diced New Zealand venison is also readily available in frozen form in most European supermarkets.

Venison and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWS)

New Zealand; a country widely recognized as being free from Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), is currently the number one producer of all cuts of farmed venison globally. CWD is a transmissible form of spongiform encephalopathy in deer very similar to Mad Cow Disease (MCD).

Venison in the United States

Due to a greater demand than supply of home-grown venison as a result of the limited number of abattoirs in the United States that process venison most venison offered for retail sales in North America also comes from New Zealand. What little home-grown product that does exist, is rapidly taken by the restaurant market long before the retail comes into the picture.