Venison and Other Deer Products

Abstract

Game production is becoming an important industry in several countries. The main products from deer are meat, velvet antler, and leather. Venison from farmed deer has been shown to differ very little from wild-shot venison when the carcasses are of equal weight. The meat from young deer is extremely lean, having a fat content in the range of 5% to 10% of carcass weight and a very high lean/fat ratio. Electrical stimulation of carcasses will reduce the pH to 6.0 within 1 to 2 h compared with 6 h in unstimulated carcasses. Chilled venison, when vacuum packaged and held at -1°C, had a shelf life in excess of 12 weeks. Controlled atmosphere packaging did not further improve shelf life or product quality. Velvet antler is a valuable deer product used in oriental medicine for treating a wide range of human conditions. The product is often given to children as a protection against problems such as influena. Deer skin leather is a particularly durable product which is now being used in a wide range of fashion garments.