Analysis of factors of effects on venison as food raw material (a pleriminary study)

Abstract

In Hungary, approximately 200-250 thousand big game animals are hunted annually. Animals are not only
hunted for valuable trophies, but also for thousands of tons of venison for consumption. A major part of this
is sold abroad, bypassing the Hungarian market. It can be said in general that venison is low in fat and
carbohydrate and rich in protein, micro- and macro elements, as well as vitamins. Currently in Hungary,
venison is produced in free ranging areas, game preserves and game farms. There are significant differences
between them in terms of environmental conditions and the employed keeping and feeding technologies.
Impacts of these factors on the meat quality are well-known in domestic animals, but they are only partially
understood in game species. The quality of red deer venison, the influential factors and risks have been
examined in the current project. Red deer venison has been acquired from free ranging areas, game preserves
and game farms. Changes in the volume of venison in Hungary and its distribution between game species
were estimated, as well as the tendency in the number of game preserves and game farms was shown in this
study. In Hungary, the quantity of hunted game species was approximately 10.000 tons in 2010, from which
wild boar and red deer were the most abundant. We expect it to be the same in the future.