IA DNR: Donated Venison Cleared for Distribution to Needy

DES MOINES — Food pantries in Iowa have been given approval to resume serving deer venison to the needy after sampling of the ground meat for lead indicated only trace amounts.

A total of 10 samples of ground venison from a food pantry were tested by the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory over the weekend. All 10 samples had less than 1 part per million of lead, eight had no detectable amounts and two had only trace amounts.

Distribution of venison donated to the food pantries by hunters was temporarily halted last week until the ground meat could be sampled for lead. More than 25,000 deer have been donated to hunger programs through the Department of Natural Resources (DNR)-administered HUSH (Help Us Stop Hunger) program in the last five years representing more than 4 million meal servings. HUSH is a cooperative effort among deer hunters, the Food Bank of Iowa, meat lockers and the Iowa DNR. The two main goals of HUSH include reducing the deer population while providing high-quality red meat to the needy in Iowa.

"Based on the samples that were analyzed and the extensive data currently available through blood testing of Iowans by our department, no additional tests of the venison are necessary," said Ken Sharp, director of the environmental health division of the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH).

“When we look at the results of this testing and the blood data that has been collected over the years, the venison provided through the HUSH program presents no recognized risk for lead exposure,” Sharp added.

Lead poisoning can cause significant health problems for young children and pregnant women. Lead-based paint is the leading cause of lead exposure for children. Since 1992, more than 500,000 Iowa children and more than 25,000 Iowa adults have been tested for lead poisoning. None of the cases of lead poisoning identified from this testing resulted from ingestion of venison, according to the IDPH.

Based on these results and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established guidelines for daily lead intake, the IDPH states that people can safely consume the following amount of ground venison:

Children under the age of 6 years: 2 four-ounce servings per week
Pregnant women: 1 four-ounce serving per day
All other adults: 3 four-ounce servings per day

If parents are concerned about their children’s exposure to lead in venison, they should ask their physician to test their children for lead poisoning, according to the IDPH.

Hunters with ground venison in their own freezers should consider the daily intake recommendations made by the IDPH based on the FDA established guidelines. How the meat was processed and what care was taken to clean the animal when it was harvested should be considered on other cuts of venison to determine the likelihood of lead being present.

Testing of the HUSH venison was prompted when North Dakota issued a press release last Wednesday urging food pantries across that state to not distribute or use donated ground venison through its hunter donation program after 53 of 95 packages detected metals through x-ray testing.

“This is a question we have never encountered before. We wanted to do the sampling so that we would have confidence that the venison is safe,” said Ross Harrison, coordinator of the HUSH program for DNR.

Harrison said he is pleased that distribution of the venison can now continue.

“One of Iowa’s most valuable natural resources is its deer herd. The HUSH program has been a perfect match of being able to utilize this resource in a positive way to help some of our most needy citizens,” said Harrison.

“This testing confirms what we have believed all along that donated venison can be a valuable contribution to the health of needy Iowans,” Harrison said.

For more information, contact Kevin Baskins at 515-249-2814.