Are Game “Red” or “White” Meat?
Game birds are poultry and considered “white” meat. Because they are birds of flight, however, the breast meat is darker than domestic chicken and turkey (which stand a lot, but do little, if any, flying). This is because more oxygen is needed by muscles doing work, and the oxygen is delivered to those muscles by the red cells in the blood. All game mammals are “red” meat. One of the proteins in meat, myoglobin, holds the oxygen in the muscle, and gives the meat a darker color. What Does “Natural” Mean? All fresh meat can qualify as “natural.” Products labeled “natural” cannot contain any artificial flavor or flavoring, coloring ingredient, chemical preservative, or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient. The product and its ingredients cannot be more than minimally processed (ground, for example). All products claiming to be “natural” should be accompanied by a brief statement explaining what is meant by the term “natural.” Some companies promote their game as “natural” because
