Venison: Meat from red deer (Cervus elaphus) and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus)

Abstract

To illustrate the most important sources of venison (deer meat) in the world, the examples in this article are taken from the deer farming industry in New Zealand and the traditional reindeer husbandry cultures in Fennoscandia (Sweden, Norway, and Finland) and Alaska (with roots in Russia and Fennoscandia). These deer industries are mainly focused around pasture-based venison production systems. The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is the most common deer species for venison production in New Zealand (Figure 1) while the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) dominate venison production in Fennoscandia and Alaska (Figure 2). Reindeer husbandry is performed in a less-intensive way than red deer farming, with the reindeer free ranging (not enclosed in fenced areas) in forests and on the mountain tundra. Both reindeer in Fennoscandia and red deer in New Zealand are occasionally fed supplements or replacements, particularly during winter when pastures cannot provide enough nutrition for maintenance and growth (Staaland and Sletten, 1991; Wiklund et al., 2008a). Consumer opinion is increasingly important to meat industries worldwide, and consumers value the attributes such as flavor, tenderness, and nutrient content when evaluating the quality of meat (Dransfield, 2003). In addition, consumers judged meat production systems where the animals graze in a free-range manner to be more animal friendly and ethical compared with the standard commercial production of beef, pork, or poultry (for an overview, see Hoffman and Wiklund, 2006). Therefore, venison with its low fat content, favorable fat composition, and increased mineral content is a product that meets most of the criteria (e.g., nutritional composition and ethical quality) demanded by the discerning meat consumers of today (Hoffman and Wiklund, 2006). In Table 1, the nutritional composition of red deer and reindeer venison, beef, and lamb is compared. Venison: Meat from red deer (Cervus elaphus) and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus)