The present project is a cooperation project with the Styrian State Forests and the Karl-Franzens University of Graz. The meat quality parameters (color, loss of dripping, cooking and grilling juice, tenderness, ingredients) as well as the heavy metal content are examined in spring and autumn.

The topic of “healthy eating” appears in the media every day today. In particular, game meat, in contrast to farm animals, is characterized by its high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Especially in this context, game meat is very important as a high-quality food, as it comes from animals in the wild.
The demand for regional, seasonal food is increasing among consumers. The way in which food is produced (origin, production, animal welfare, etc.) is also becoming increasingly critical. Game meat is one of the most animal-friendly meats, so from an ethical point of view it is a food of the highest quality. It can move largely freely in nature and selectively eat whenever and wherever it needs it.
In the interests of the food quality and safety that consumers rightly demand (lead content due to the use of lead-containing ammunition), hunters and food business operators must do everything possible to ensure that only hygienically perfect game meat that is free of heavy metals and harmless is placed on the market.
There are hardly any studies on the enjoyment value (intramuscular fat content - flavor carrier) in red deer, roe deer and chamois in comparison between spring and autumn. By comparing the heavy metal content in meat when hunted with lead-containing or lead-free ammunition, important information on the influence of ammunition on the safety of game meat is intended to be provided.

The aim of this project is to examine whether game killed in spring, as is often claimed, actually has a poorer meat quality than game killed in autumn, as well as to obtain technically justified findings (results) as to whether a waiver (ban) of lead-containing ammunition would have advantages in terms of consumer protection.