Meat makes you sick, and game meat is no exception.

France has above-average meat consumption and is now officially calling on its population to eat less meat and sausage.

This is justified by health and environmental concerns, particularly the link between meat consumption, cancer risk, and climate impact. Similar recommendations have been issued for years by international expert panels, scientific studies, and national health authorities. The message is always the same: less meat protects the climate , animals, and people, and this explicitly includes so-called "wild game."

What the WHO says about meat

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the WHO classifies processed meats such as sausages and cured meats as "carcinogenic to humans" (Group 1). Red meat, which includes beef, pork, lamb, and also the meat of wild ruminants, is classified as "probably carcinogenic" (Group 2A). Even relatively small daily amounts have been shown in large cohort studies to increase the risk of colorectal cancer and other diseases of the digestive tract. Meta-analyses also show links to cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes; the higher and more regular the consumption, the greater the risk. There is no scientific basis for the claim that meat suddenly becomes healthy simply by being labeled "wild."

Game meat is not an organic product.

Hobby hunters often refer to game meat as "organic meat" because the animals live "free" and are not fed concentrated feed. Legally and factually, this is incorrect: Organic certifications require controlled husbandry conditions, feeding, medication, land use restrictions, and complete documentation—all conditions that are not met by free-roaming wild animals and recreational hunting. No one knows exactly where the animals live, what they eat, what pollutants they are exposed to, or how sick or contaminated animals are treated. Furthermore, wild animals move through landscapes polluted by traffic, industry, agriculture, PFAS chemicals, pesticides, and heavy metals. Meat from wild animals cannot, by its very nature, be certified organic; it is an uncontrolled natural product with corresponding risks.

Lead ammunition: Poison in the meat

A key problem with wild game is the ammunition used in hunting. If an animal is shot with lead ammunition, the bullet fragments into numerous small pieces that become distributed throughout the tissue and often cannot be removed even with thorough dissection. Studies show average lead levels of around 5.2 ppm in wild animal carcasses, approximately 14 times the previous EU estimates. Even the smallest amounts of lead are considered a health risk; there is no safe threshold for lead exposure. Lead damages the central nervous system, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, impairs cognitive development in children, and can disrupt fetal development in pregnant women.

Health authorities such as ANSES in France and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) explicitly advise particularly vulnerable groups, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, children, and those who consume game meat frequently, against regularly eating it. In some cases, it is recommended that game meat be eaten only a few times a year, if at all. Studies also show significantly elevated blood lead levels in people who frequently eat game; these levels dropped significantly after switching to lead-free ammunition.

Studies indicate that there are health risks associated with the consumption of wild game.

Zoonoses: Pathogens in game meat

Wild game is not only a source of heavy metals but also a carrier of pathogens. Various studies and official reports document significant occurrences of Salmonella, Yersinia, Listeria, pathogenic E. coli (STEC), and the hepatitis E virus in wild game. A critical point is the gutting and butchering process: contact between intestinal contents and muscle tissue frequently occurs, especially when hunting hygiene regulations are poorly observed. In practice, animals are often gutted late, transported improperly (e.g., in a warm car trunk), and butchered in garages or sheds—ideal conditions for bacterial growth.

Wild boar can be infected with Trichinella larvae; insufficiently cooked meat can lead to severe, potentially fatal infections. Therefore, Trichinella testing is legally required, but controls are not comprehensive everywhere and do not protect against all other pathogens. The image of the "clean natural product" collapses at the latest when one considers the microbiological reality of wild game.

Chemicals, pesticides and PFAS

Wild animals don't live in an untouched natural paradise, but rather in the heart of a human-dominated environment . They roam intensively farmed areas, roadsides, industrial sites, contaminated shooting ranges, and military installations. There, they ingest pesticides, heavy metals, and so-called "permanent chemicals" (PFAS), which accumulate in their bodies. In the USA, extremely high levels of PFAS have been detected in wild animals near military bases, far exceeding the levels considered acceptable in a supermarket. PFAS are suspected of being carcinogenic, disrupting the endocrine system, and weakening the immune system.

The notion that wild animals are automatically "cleaner" than farm animals ignores this environmental reality. While the uptake of pollutants in farm animals is at least partially controlled and monitored, there is neither systematic control nor transparency for wild animals. Consumers generally do not know in which area the animal was killed or what pollutants it was exposed to.

Ecological consequences: Lead kills scavengers

Lead ammunition is not just a problem on our plates, but also for ecosystems. Scavengers like eagles, vultures, and other birds of prey ingest lead when they feed on wounded or dead wild animals. In several regions of the world, lead poisoning is one of the leading causes of death for large scavengers. Foxes, martens, wild boars, and other animals that scavenge carcasses can also be contaminated.

A single lead hunting pellet can contaminate an entire animal and parts of the food chain. In addition, countless shot pellets from waterfowl and small game hunting permanently pollute soils and waterways. Thus , recreational hunting, often touted as an "ecological" or "natural" practice, turns out to be a source of environmental toxins that have an impact far beyond the moment of the shot.

Game meat from a hobby hunter? Carrion on your plate!

Hunting myths: "Natural", "regional", "sustainable"

Hobby hunters often argue that wild game is "natural," "regional," and "sustainable" as a moral alternative to industrial factory farming. This narrative glosses over several issues: First, wild game remains a product of killed sentient beings, the production of which is associated with considerable suffering (missed shots, tracking wounded game, injuries). Second, in many regions, hobby hunting is not a regulatory corrective but rather a driving force behind high populations, winter feeding, and hunting-motivated population manipulation. Third, risks such as lead poisoning, zoonoses, poor hygiene, and environmental toxins are systematically downplayed or concealed.

"Regionality" alone does not make a product healthy, ethical, or ecologically sound. If a wild animal is shot with lead, killed in a contaminated environment, transported under inadequate refrigeration, and butchered in a home garage, the result is anything but a high-quality food product. The romanticized PR surrounding hobby hunting clashes head-on with the sober risk analysis of modern food and environmental medicine.

Health authorities vs. recreational hunter PR

While hunting associations aggressively promote game meat as "healthy," health authorities paint a much more cautious picture. ANSES, BfR, and other institutions repeatedly emphasize that game meat, especially from animals killed with lead ammunition, is unsuitable for certain groups and problematic for frequent consumers. Warnings are directed primarily at pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, children, and people who regularly consume game meat. It is recommended to eat game only occasionally, to use lead-free ammunition, and to ensure careful preparation.

The discrepancy between official caution and hunting advertising language is glaring. While official bodies urge restraint, hobby hunters sell game meat as a medically valuable premium product without transparently informing consumers about the known risks.

Game meat is not a healthy special case.

More and more countries and studies are calling for reduced meat consumption, and for good reason. The health risks of red and processed meat are well-documented, and game meat is no exception. On the contrary, lead ammunition, zoonoses, poor hygiene, and environmental toxins pose additional risks that would not even be permissible in many industrially controlled products. Anyone marketing game meat as "organic," "healthy," or "natural" is ignoring the foreseeable consequences for people, animals, and the environment.

Instead of believing hobby hunting PR, consumers should rely on independent health authorities and scientific studies and significantly reduce their overall meat consumption.

For further information and references, the dossiers and articles on wildbeimwild.com regarding wild game, lead, hunting myths and organic claims are particularly suitable.

Added value:

• Wild game: Natural, healthy – or dangerous?
• Game meat from a hobby hunter? – Carrion on your plate!
• Studies indicate that there are health risks associated with the consumption of wild game.
• Nutrition: The civilized taste
• Wild game from a hunter is carrion
• Wild game meat cannot be organic
• Meat from wild animals is not organic game.
• Dementia: How harmful is game meat?
• Game meat makes you sick
• Lead residues in game meat products
• Wild game: Risks, lead, and hunting myths
• Warning: Beware of wild game meat from amateur hunters
• Hunters also lie when selling meat.