AVOIDING RANCID FLAVORS IN VENISON

The most likely ways meat can become unfit or less than ideal to eat involve excessive bacterial growth or by turning rancid.

Those forms of spoilage result in unpleasant odors and flavors, and undesirable color changes, but otherwise differ. Venison has an excellentn utritional profile and high moisture content, both of which provide a great environment for bacteria growth. Consequently, controlling bacterial growth is the first thing to consider for controlling meat spoilage. That’s the focus of the three C’s; keep it clean, keep it cold and cook it appropriately. However, when bacteria are under control, the potential for rancid flavors begins and, given time, will result in spoilage and product loss.

In simple terms, rancidity is the reaction of oxygen with unsaturated meat lipids. That reaction breaks large fatty acid molecules into much smaller molecules,