Recall: Parasites in Wild Meat – Do Not Consume Under Any Circumstances

Wild boar meat from Rewe and Edeka stores may contain parasites.

The product is being recalled. Consumption may cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and muscle pain.

Hobby hunters are not trained butchers

It has long been known that hobby hunters are not trained butchers and do not work under normal hygienic conditions. Such animal welfare and hygiene problems are a systemic risk of recreational hunting.

Because wild meat parasites may be present, the company Jagdhaus Rech is recalling wild boar meat cuts and offal. The products were sold, among other places, in Rewe and Edeka branches in the regions of north-eastern Rhineland-Palatinate, southern and western North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as through online retail.

«For the wild boar meat products, it cannot be ruled out that parts of a wild boar not tested for trichinella were processed,» states a notice from the company Jagdhaus Rech. Affected are products that were available in stores or dispatched after 23 June and up to 1 July 2020.

Transmission of the parasites to humans occurs through the consumption of raw meat containing infective muscle larvae. Specifically, trichinella are tiny roundworms that cannot be killed, for example, even by smoking the meat. At the recall portal produktwarnung.eu it also states that the disease caused by trichinella is referred to as trichinellosis. Acute human infections with Trichinella spiralis are notifiable in Germany.

Recall of wild boar meat: Parasites cause vomiting and diarrhea

The trichinella present in the intestine typically cause vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and abdominal pain in humans. Once the larvae spread through the body, further symptoms occur, such as fever, weakness, and fluid retention (edema) in the facial area. These symptoms are temporary and can last up to a year. They generally disappear thereafter without lasting consequences. However, particularly in cases of severe infestation of the heart muscle, fatal outcomes can also occur.

Consumers who have purchased the affected wild boar meat pieces and offal are therefore asked to observe the recall and not to consume these products. Persons who have already consumed the items and are experiencing corresponding symptoms after consumption should urgently consult a doctor. More about the hunting myths surrounding allegedly safe wild game meat at wildbeimwild.com.