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Warm Temperatures A Concern For Venison Handling
Saturday, November 17th, 2012 -- 7:45 am
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
Forecasters predict relatively warm high temperatures throughout Wisconsin for this weekend’s opening to gun deer hunting season, which is cause for concern for food safety officials when it comes to venison handling.
Cindy Klug, manager of the Bureau of Meat Safety and Inspection for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection says “When temperatures are above 40 degrees, harmful bacteria can grow quickly, so we want to make sure that hunters are clear about how to keep their harvest fresh and wholesome.”
Klug offers some important tips to ensure your venison doesn’t spoil before you have the chance to enjoy it. When in the field, field dress the carcass immediately after harvest and wash the body cavity with cold, clean water, if possible. When transporting it home, do not leave venison or other wild game in a car trunk where warmer temperatures promote bacterial growth and register and process your deer as soon as you possibly can. When you get the deer back home, refrigerate the carcass if at all possible. Avoid hanging it in your garage without refrigeration in warm weather.
Klug says “The biggest mistake we see each year is that hunters hang their deer in the garage for too long thinking that the garage gets cold enough, but temperature fluctuations are not good for keeping meat safe to eat.”
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