Disentangling Individual Phases in the Hunted vs. Farmed Meat Supply Chain: Exploring Hunters’ Perceptions in Italy

Abstract

The growing body of literature concerning the hunted wild game meat (HWGM) supply chain is mainly focused on the final consumer, while little is known about upstream production processes. Even though the hunter plays a central role here, it is not well understood how hunters themselves perceive their role in the various phases of the production process. The present study explores Italian hunters’ perception of the HWGM supply chain and compares it to their perception towards the conventional farmed meat supply chain. We distinguish several phases of this production process and find that the final phase related to on-site game dressing is considered problematic, perhaps because hunters perceive themselves as less skilled than professional butchers. The results, in fact, show that hunters prefer hunted products over farmed meat, but that they consider hunted wild boar meat less safe compared to farmed pork. Findings from this study provide a rare glimpse from the inside of the supply chain and reveals the needs for a broad risk assessment analysis on the Italian game meat supply chain. Considering the development of the Italian emerging market of the HWGM, our results also highlight the relevance of training activities on hunters in order to increase the safety and quality of the final product.

Consumers’ Perception and Preference for the Consumption of Wild Game Meat among Adults in Poland

“…They also had family traditions and habits of eating this meat. Other authors, similar to this study, have also indicated that hunters and their family members or their friends eat game meat more often [ 33 , 34 , 35 ] because of a need to use the obtained meat.…”

“…These were usually people with a higher education, aged 20–40 years, and with a high income [ 71 ]. The taste and aroma were also perceived as factors that make game less attractive [ 34 ]. Due to the lack of knowledge and skills in its preparation, consumers did not prepare dishes from this meat, thinking that it would be unpalatable.…”

“…In recent years, it was from 0.2 to 1.1 kg/person/year [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ], but only 2–4% of the population consumed this type of meat regularly [ 33 ]. Greater consumption was found among hunters and their families [ 34 , 35 ].…”

“…In many respects, game is a decidedly safer meat than livestock meat, especially in countries where restrictive veterinary regulations are in force, and levels of harmful compounds do not exceed acceptable limits and do not constitute a risk to consumers. Barriers to wild game consumption also include: high price, difficulty of access to the product [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ], limited supply [ 27 , 54 ], health safety concerns [ 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 ], specific taste and smell, lack of the habit of consuming it, as well as an inability to prepare dishes properly [ 27 , 54 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 ].…”

Improving Hunted Wild Boar Carcass Hygiene: Roles of Different Factors Involved in the Harvest Phase

“…In such an environment, the animals can be more easily contaminated during hunting and related practices, or the time or conditions to process them quickly and properly varies [ 14 ]. Furthermore, the production chain is peculiar and organized in different steps that involve the responsibility of different individuals who must guarantee meat safety and optimal hygienic quality [ 15 ]. In fact, parts of the production chain are under hunters’ control, while others are managed by the owners of collection centers (usually hunters) and/or game-handling establishments, and only this final step is under official control by veterinarian officers and follows the same rules of “farmed” meat chain production.…”