UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- A Penn State Cooperative Extension food safety specialist has developed a comprehensive program to arm hunters and others with important information on wild game food safety.

The centerpiece of the program is a set of five free publications addressing proper care and handling of wild game, fish and birds.

"With over a million licensed hunters in the state, many people rely on game meat to sustain them through the winter -- especially in rural areas," says Catherine Cutter, assistant professor of food science. "But game animals -- especially deer -- are known to carry E. Coli, and game birds can carry Salmonella. Since cleaning, dressing and butchering often are done in the field, airborne contaminants, weather, temperature and other factors can affect the safety of your product."

E. Coli 0157:H7 and Salmonella are harmful bacteria found in the intestinal tracts of game, livestock, poultry and other animals. These pathogens can cause gastrointestinal distress in humans and can be fatal to young children and older adults.

"The publication series includes pamphlets on gamebirds, fish and venison, designed to give hunters and fishers basic information on what to do out in the field -- pointers to keep pathogens and bacterial growth down so they would have a better product," Cutter explains. "Two longer booklets expand on the information in the pamphlets and elaborate on field dressing procedures for specific animals, with instructions on how to make sausages or jerky."

The series includes:

• VENISON, a brochure that identifies tools and utensils hunters should carry, in addition to tips on field dressing, transporting and kitchen processing.
• FISH, a brochure that presents safety guidelines for before and after the catch. Topics include transporting, processing and tips for smoking and freezing.
• GAME BIRDS, a brochure that suggests the proper tools to take when hunting, as well as tips on field dressing, removing feathers and aging meat.
• PROPER FIELD DRESSING AND HANDLING OF WILD FISH AND GAME, a 10-page booklet that explains the crucial first steps in field dressing and butchering fish and game immediately after harvest. Diagrams illustrate techniques for deer and other large animals, as well as small game, wild turkey, waterfowl and fish.
• PROPER PROCESSING OF WILD GAME AND FISH, an 18-page booklet dedicated to the preparation of venison, birds, fish and other game after it's brought in from the field. Sections include the importance of temperature in controlling spoilage; butchering and cutting techniques; differences between aging, curing and smoking; procedures for canning game; and recipes for making jerkies and sausages.

In addition to developing the publications, Cutter recently conducted a workshop to instruct Penn State Cooperative Extension agents from around the state in the latest techniques of field dressing, handling and butchering of wild game. The day-long training included updates on current state hunting regulations from a representative of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Agents learned to inspect game animals for disease, received a presentation on canning of game meat from Chef Albert Wutsch of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts, and sampled deer bologna and jerky made at the Penn State Meats Lab. Participants also saw a step-by-step demonstration of venison butchering, courtesy of Griffith Brothers White Tail Ridge of Huntingdon, Pa.

"Armed with this knowledge, extension agents can offer in-depth information to people in their counties through workshops, phone calls and other means," Cutter says. "Our goal is to provide the state's hunters with convenient resources for food safety and hunting information."

Single copies of the wild game meat safety publication series are available free of charge by contacting your county Penn State Cooperative Extension office, or by calling the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Distribution Center at 814-865-6713. The brochures and booklets also are available free of charge from the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/Default.html. They also can be found at local deer processing plants and butcher shops.

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EDITORS: For more information, contact Catherine Cutter at 814-865-8862.

Contacts: Gary Abdullah gxa2@psu.edu 814-863-2708 814-865-1068 fax