No game meat during pregnancy

Pregnant women and children should abstain from venison

22/09/2011

Infants, women with children and pregnant women should not consume game meat. This is indicated by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. The reason: The wild animals are killed with lead ammunition, so that the meat is contaminated with lead over a large area.

Children and women during pregnancy should not eat venison. Food and drinking water in Germany already contain much higher lead concentrations anyway. Thus, the lead intake of other foods is already relatively high. Therefore, the consumption of venison such as venison, deer or wild boar could endanger the health of consumers. According to some researches „an increased risk for weekly consumption, "said the President of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment Professor Andreas Hensel in Berlin to a high degree, infants up to the age of seven and unborn in the womb are at risk, „where even a small lead intake can lead to damage to health“, said Hensel. Outside of this risk group, there is little risk to health if the wild animal is eaten only in moderation and small quantities. Then the health risk is negligible, so the chairman of the „BfR“.

The Authority has issued the warning because new data collections have come to extended knowledge. Therefore, a new risk assessment has been carried out by the BfR. When hunting, lead shot is used. The bullets leave, according to analyzes lead fragments in the killed animal. The hunting bullets deform or splinter on impact and lead-containing articles and splinters come off. These fragments then remain in the game meat and penetrate deeply. The argument that the bullet point is cut out generously is not enough to minimize the contamination significantly. Lead exposure is still detectable by laboratory technology. In addition, the lead fragments in the flesh are barely visible to the naked eye. An increased concentration of lead in the body can alter the formation of blood, damage the central nervous system and internal organs. Especially children can suffer from increased concentrations of nerve damage and developmental disorders.

Lead is not only absorbed by game meat, but also by breathing air, tobacco smoke, drinking water, lead-ceramic dishes, color and rust-proofing paints and lead-based artist paints. The pollutant settles in the conches, muscles and brain and is stored there for years. Gradually, the lead separates out, so that lead concentrations in the blood are detectable even years after the stress. Even infants take lead in the mother's stomach and babies drink it with breast milk.

For a long time, consumer advocates and nature associations warned against the use of leaded hunting ammunition. The discussion was initiated by a study by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin. Researchers found that Adler died of lead poisoning after consuming killed animals. The scientists were also able to demonstrate the massive splintering effect, which spreads the lead enormously in the body. Time and again, consumer advocates called on hunting associations to renounce leaded ammunition in the future. The German Hunting Association rejected the criticism and warned against one „panicmongering“. In October, they wanted to invite the BfR to a survey among hunters. This should in particular clarify the consumption behavior and the use of hunting ammunition. The association called on the industry to design new bullets without lead. In Germany, an average of 600 grams of venison is eaten per year and per capita. An acute danger exists especially for hunter families, who consume a lot of game. (Sb)

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Picture: Rita Thielen