Venison, antelope, American elk, boar, pheasant, and other game animals are now farm raised in the United States. For an increasing number of restaurants and home diners, game meats are becoming more commonplace.States require restaurants to only serve game that has been slaughtered and dressed under inspection. This can be accomplished under voluntary USDA FSIS inspection or equivalent foreign inspection. The Hotline receives inquiries about these food animal species. Included here are answers to questions about game animals.
What is Game
Game are wild animals and birds. Farm-raised game are originally wild species of animals and birds that are now being raised domestically for
sale under voluntary USDA inspection. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has jurisdiction over imported game. Large native game animals living in America include antelope, buffalo, bear, caribou, deer, elk, moose, reindeer, and wild boar. Elsewhere in the world, even rarer varieties eaten by humans are camel, elephant, kangaroo, wild goats, wild sheep, zebra, and other species.
Small game animals include alligator, rabbit, squirrel, beaver, muskrat, opossum, raccoon, armadillo, porcupine, and other species. Game birds include grouse, guineafowl, partridge, squab (young pigeon),quail, pheasant, ratites (emu, ostrich, and rhea), wild ducks, wild geese,wild turkey, and other species. Rock Cornish hens — thought by many consumers to be game birds — are actually young domesticated chickens.Ratites and squabs are now under mandatory USDA inspection.
