With deer season underway, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is reminding hunters and consumers to take care when choosing where to have deer processed, where to donate your harvested deer and where to buy farm-raised venison. Following state rules helps protect you and your loved ones from foodborne illness.<\/p>\n
Know your processing options
In Michigan there are several legal avenues for processing and selling meats from deer, elk and other cervids. Choosing licensed processors \u2014 and preparing, cooking, and storing meat properly \u2014 reduces the risk of foodborne illness.<\/p>\n
\u2014MDARD\u2011licensed processors These facilities can cut and wrap meat and make ground venison or sausage. With an additional MDARD variance and food establishment license, they can also produce value-added products like jerky or smoked meats. You can request to see a processor\u2019s license at their facility to check their status.<\/p>\n
\u2014Custom processors for personal use Hunters may use an unlicensed custom processor when venison is simply cut and wrapped. Unlicensed custom processors may also grind meat, provided no additional ingredients \u2014 such as fat or flavorings \u2014 are added. This meat must be labeled \u201cNot for Sale\u201d and kept for the hunter\u2019s personal consumption. It can be shared with friends or family but not resold. Any additional processing \u2014 such as grinding with added fat, making sausage or smoking \u2014 must be done by an MDARD-licensed processor.<\/p>\n
Know where to donate
Any hunters who fill their freezers early this season and would like to harvest an additional deer to help feed our neighbors in need are encouraged to donate it to Hunters Feeding Michigan. This DNR program makes a positive difference in communities across the state by connecting hunters, wild game processors and charities to help feed Michiganders who struggle with food insecurity.<\/p>\n
Each deer donated \u2014 at no cost to the hunter \u2014 provides an estimated 160 high-protein, nutritious venison meals. Since 2005, hunters have donated 3.5 million servings of venison. <\/p>\n
Buy farm-raised venison from licensed sellers
Improperly handled meats can contain harmful bacteria, including E. coli, which can cause serious illness. To reduce risk, buy venison only from licensed and inspected facilities.
Farm-raised venison sold legally in Michigan must be:
\u2014Processed at licensed establishments
\u2014Sold through licensed retail or wholesale locations
\u2014Labeled as required under the Michigan Food Law
Labels should clearly list:
\u2014Ingredients
\u2014Product weight
\u2014The processor\u2019s business name and contact information
\u2014A \u201cBest by\u201d date, when applicable<\/p>\n
Avoid purchasing farm-raised venison from sellers who do not provide proper labels or ingredient lists. Seller food licenses are required to be posted in an easy-to-see location at the facility, or you can request to see it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With deer season underway, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is reminding hunters and consumers to take care when choosing where to have deer processed, where to donate your harvested deer and where to buy farm-raised venison. Following state rules helps protect you and your loved ones from foodborne illness. Know your<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":80051,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[1403,3085,3083,3086,3084],"class_list":["post-80050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-michigan","tag-michigan","tag-michigan-dining","tag-michigan-food","tag-michigan-grocery-stores","tag-michigan-restaurants"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dc\/117570145052750851","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80050"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80050\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}