Processing Game Meat

December 22, 2011

Question: A friend shot a wild pig and while skinning it he saw worms in the armpits and groin area. He cut out and discarded the surrounding meat, processed and ate the rest. Is this a seasonal problem? Was this meat safe to eat? If one gets an infected pig, how should one dispose of the bad meat or entire carcass? Bury it (how deep)? Burn it? Toss into the trash can within tightly sealed plastic bags? (Ray, Arbuckle)

Answer: Adult Trichinella worms are found primarily in the gut of the host, whereas larval, or immature, worms tend to be present throughout the rest of the body. According to U.C. Davis graduate student Jamie Sherman and DFG Senior Wildlife Veterinarian Ben Gonzales, only adult Trichinella worms are visible to the human eye, and are described as “white flakes” along the intestines. Larvae within the muscles are only visible under a microscope. Therefore, it is unlikely the worms seen in your friend’s pig carcass were Trichinella.

Other parasitic worms can infect wild pigs though, such as the pork tapeworm Taenia solis, which can appear in the meat as “measly pork”, much as you describe. Ingestion of raw or undercooked infected pork results in tapeworm infection in the human gut (taeniasis). These tapeworms produce larvae which can be shed in the feces of the human host, and once ingested by other human or animal hosts, the larvae penetrate the gut and migrate to sites such as the muscles, eyes or nervous system and can cause serious disease (cysticercosis).

Your friend took the right steps to protect himself if he cooked the meat adequately. Removing the measly areas for appearance and then cooking the rest of the meat to an internal temperature using a meat thermometer to 160O F will eliminate the risk of infection from the pork tapeworm as well as from Trichinella. By cooking the meat thoroughly to 160O F and by following safe meat handling practices such as washing hands and disinfecting utensils and cutting boards thoroughly after handling raw meat, you can prevent parasitic and bacterial infections derived from consuming wild game or domestically raised meat.

Trichinella and other parasitic worms are not a seasonal problem, but a lifelong disease. Once an animal is infected, larval worms can remain in the muscle tissue for the lifetime of the host. Humans then get sick when they consume raw or undercooked meat containing the larvae.

Regarding various recommendations for proper carcass disposal:

1.   Burial: There is no specific depth requirement for the disposal of carcasses via burial. The goal of burying a carcass is to prevent other scavengers from consuming the potentially infective meat. Therefore, they should not be able to dig it up. Burying the carcass a few feet under the ground should be sufficient. It is also important to make sure your burial site is not within 100 feet of any water source, in order to prevent contamination.

2.   Burning: This is an effective tool for destroying pathogens and reducing the volume of solid waste. However, since the act of burning can increase the risk of wildfires and can create potent fumes, it is important to make sure to follow safe fire practices.

3.   Trash: Disposing of carcasses in the trash is discouraged because once the carcass reaches the landfill it has the potential to be scavenged by other animals (e.g. rats, raccoons or even other wild pigs). Determined scavengers can easily break open plastic bags. There are, however, some landfills that are specially permitted to safely dispose of carcasses. Local county health department officials can help identify these landfills.

The Centers for Disease Control has excellent online articles on trichinellosis at www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/, taeniasis at www.cdc.gov/parasites/taeniasis/ and cysticercosis at www.cdc.gov/parasites/cysticercosis/index.html.

1600f is going to make some serious cajun pork!

1600f is going to make some serious cajun pork!

I know! 
I saw 'an internal temp of 1600" and though dang, my grill doesn't get that hot!
At least they could have used a lower case "o"
I wonder how many pork chunks will end up as cinders from this article.......

1600f is going to make some serious cajun pork!

I know! 
I saw 'an internal temp of 1600" and though dang, my grill doesn't get that hot!
At least they could have used a lower case "o"
I wonder how many pork chunks will end up as cinders from this article.......

Some people like to eat their food extra crisp. 

Talk about a horror movie. Neurocysticercosis is when the worms migrate into your brain. An outdoor guy I liked died from this. Ew

Mapp Gas can on my Coleman!