WIP 94 - Examining the Relationship of Lead-Contaminated Meats and Exposure Amongst At-Risk Populations

Poster Number: WIP 94
Publication Number: WIP 94.2511

Background: 46 million Americans, including 12 million children, rely on food assistance programs annually. Some donated foods, like game-hunted venison, however, lack regulation despite prior research showing over 40% of shotgun-harvested deer contain metal fragments. Minnesota is the only state to screen game meat, finding up to 10% unfit for consumption due to lead contamination. Ohio is among the states with highest amounts of donated hunted meat, but safety practices, knowledge, and distribution quantities are unknown. Consumption of lead-contaminated meats can raise blood lead levels, particularly concerning for children under 6 and pregnant women (“at-risk populations”), making examination of current practices in this area crucial.

Objective: • Investigate the safety measures currently in place to limit lead exposure to these populations, and knowledge of stakeholders regarding these issues.
• Determine the amount of game-hunted meat currently being donated and distributed through safety net programs to at-risk populations.

Design/Methods: This study involves qualitative, semi-structured interviews with Ohio food bank personnel and game-hunted meat distribution managers with knowledge of supply chain and data management practices. Interviews will be conducted via phone or zoom and will be recorded and analyzed using thematic analysis. Topics of interest will focus on: knowledge regarding use of lead-contaminated ammunition in hunting, current practices in place to mitigate exposure of lead in food, health consequences of lead exposure to at-risk populations, and estimations of the number of at-risk individuals receiving game-hunted meat. Following this, if data regarding quantities of game-hunted meat distributed to at-risk individuals is available, retrospective, quantitative analysis from regional food banks will be conducted to determine number of affected individuals annually within Ohio. Recruitment will take place through December 2023, interviews and concurrent data collection will be conducted in through February 2024, and data analysis will be through March 2024.