Research project Safety of game meat obtained through hunting (LEMISI) - Final report of the BfR

On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) examined the safety of game meat obtained through hunting in a research project conducted jointly with the responsible authorities of the Federal States of Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Bavaria, as well as the German Hunting Association and Bavarian Hunting Association. The goal of this largest study undertaken in Germany to date was to determine the concentration of lead and other metals relevant to food safety, such as copper and zinc, in game meat with regard to their significance for consumer health protection. The focus was on metal concentrations resulting from the use of hunting ammunition. In essence, the objective was to establish the relevance of contaminants for human health introduced in this way. […] In light of the fact that lead uptake from other sources is already very high in Germany, the BfR recommends that children, pregnant women and women of child-bearing age do not consume the meat of game animals that have been shot with ammunition containing lead. The BfR also recommends that rifle bullets that keep the transfer of lead to the meat of the animal as low as possible be used for hunting. Compared to lead ammunition, the use of lowlead alternative bullets can significantly reduce the transfer of lead to the game meat.DE; en; efsa-focal-point@bfr.bund.d