The gender and cut of bison meat might mean significant differences in nutrient content, a small Alberta study has found.
Jason Galbraith, a bison specialist with Alberta’s agriculture department, recently told Canadian bison producers that the department initiated the study with a view to establishing Canadian information that could potentially be used on product labels.
He said the available information was outdated and largely from American sources.
It didn’t take into account newer feeding practices used by western Canadian producers or that heifers are now entering the meat market.
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In March 2004, 137 bison meat samples were collected at a federal plant from bulls belonging to one producer and heifers belonging to another.
The bulls were finished on a barley silage diet, while the heifers received rolled barley and forage. Finishing time was 100 days.
Testing was done on eight muscle cuts from bulls – blade, bottom roll, clod, eye of round, rib-eye, sirloin tip, sirloin and tenderloin – and two from heifers – clod and sirloin. Samples were sent to Enviro-Test Laboratories in Edmonton to be analyzed for 28 nutrients.
Galbraith said the results yielded surprises.
“Cholesterol numbers were way down compared to previous numbers,” he said.
The lowest level was 44.35 milligrams per 100 grams in both the bottom roll of bulls and heifer sirloin. The highest level was 48.95 mg in heifer clod.
These numbers compare to previously tested levels of 66 mg.
Galbraith said the difference could be a result of how the tests were conducted and more testing will have to be done.
More tests on a variety of heifer cuts are also needed before he can determine whether gender has a bearing on nutrient content.
Other study results were similar to those found in previous studies. Fat levels are comparable to beef, with more fat found in the blade and rib-eye cuts of bulls. Protein levels did not show great variation.
Galbraith noted the testing was done on raw meat, and although ground meat samples were collected, there was too much variation among the samples to obtain reliable numbers.
“More work is needed,” he said, adding that different feeding regimes should be analyzed and cooked product should be tested. Samples from more producers are also needed.
But he said the early data shows that one-size-fits-all nutrient labels likely don’t fit bison retail cuts.
