Looks as if someone forgot to tell the French hunters who killed Black bears in Canada, that bears are of the Piggy family.

Expatica

No pink bear for this child. Make mine done!!

L.W.

Interesting. I worked for awhile in a Fish&Wildlife lab in Edmonton and when ever any bear or cougar came in a sample was taken to test for tric. I asked the Forensic scientist how often he found it. He said never. He said that theoretically it could be in bear and cougar but he had never seen it of heard of it being found.

I have eaten a fair bit of bear and always was sure it had been 1. frozen a long time and 2. cooked well. I enjoyed it lots.

Robin

Most bears in Alaska have trichinosis. I would never eat one. I have also seen the stuff they eat. I'd cook my old boots first. I sure don't want littlebitty worms crawling around in my joints!

Black Bears are our favorite meat, or at least close behind Dall sheep. A good interior Grizzly can also be very good, Naturally we cook them well. they don't eat anything a pig, catfish or chiken wouldn't eat.
the real suprise up here in Alaska is that lynx have a much higher rate of trichinosis than bear. Like all cats it is great to eat but be sure to cook it well.

There you have it, both sides of the coin for Alaska. One wouldn't touch bear meat with a 10 foot pole and the other frequently put his fork in it.

Like most wild game I think weather or not you like it is mostly not in the tonge but in the brain.

Robin

Wild boar is another (common) source of trichinosis here in Europe - closer to home for the poor French guys. Meat from wild boar is commonly tested, and in many countries the test is mandatory before the meat is sold for public consumption. It is supposedly a nasty disease.

- mike

Don't most animals who eat meat have a much higher percentage trichonosis positive? Probably not the smartest move on the Frogs' part.

Shhhhhhhhhh,
keep your mouth closed and let the frogs eat it. The world would be a better place if France was a lake.
Do you know why all the streets and avenues in Paris are lined with trees?
SO THE GERMANS CAN MARCH IN THE SHADE!

According to this report, it's not very common in black bears ( http://www.bearstudy.org/Research/Publications/Ubiquito...n%20Black%20Bear.pdf )

"Both bears and people contract trichinosis by eating infected meat, and in the case of bears, such meat is commonly from the carcasses of other bears. On the average, only about three percent of black bears carry trichina parasites. However, the percentage is higher in remote areas. Trichinosis is least common in bears in accessible areas where most bears eventually are killed and removed by hunters and relatively few bears die from natural causes and are eaten by other bears. It now is evident that, contrary to a widespread notion, dumps are not the usual source of trichinosis in bears."


and now - the gory details..... ( from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/trichinosis/factsht_trichinosis.htm )

How does infection occur in humans and animals?
When a human or animal eats meat that contains infective Trichinella cysts, the acid in the stomach dissolves the hard covering of the cyst and releases the worms. The worms pass into the small intestine and, in 1-2 days, become mature. After mating, adult females lay eggs. Eggs develop into immature worms, travel through the arteries, and are transported to muscles. Within the muscles, the worms curl into a ball and encyst (become enclosed in a capsule). Infection occurs when these encysted worms are consumed in meat.

Is trichinellosis common in the United States?
Infection was once very common and usually caused by ingestion of undercooked pork. However, infection is now relatively rare. During 1997-2001, an average of 12 cases per year were reported. The number of cases has decreased because of legislation prohibiting the feeding of raw-meat garbage to hogs, commercial and home freezing of pork, and the public awareness of the danger of eating raw or undercooked pork products. Cases are less commonly associated with pork products and more often associated with eating raw or undercooked wild game meats.

How can I prevent trichinellosis?
- Cook meat products until the juices run clear or to an internal temperature of 170 o F.
- Freeze pork less than 6 inches thick for 20 days at 5 o F to kill any worms.
- Cook wild game meat thoroughly. Freezing wild game meats, unlike freezing pork products, even for long periods of time, may not effectively kill all worms.
- Cook all meat fed to pigs or other wild animals.
- Do not allow hogs to eat uncooked carcasses of other animals, including rats, which may be infected with trichinellosis.
- Clean meat grinders thoroughly if you prepare your own ground meats.
- Curing (salting), drying, smoking, or microwaving meat does not consistently kill infective worms.

Hello;
for all you people who don't know what Tricihnosis does to you, I consulted my resident expert on all things. She used to be a medical Lab. tech, before she said the hell with it and went into tormenting horses.According to her, it is caused by Trichiniella Spiralis. Man is infected by ingesting infective Larvi, encysted in stirated muscle of a reservoir host. Gastric digestion frees most of the larvi, which enter the small intestine and penetrate the Mucosi.
To make a long story short, they mate, the female lays eggs, producing larvi, which enter the circulatory system and are distributed through out the body. However, only those entering strirated muscles are capable of further development.
Nausea, vomiting and diarhea and fever may be experienced. Any organ may be damaged by the migrating larva. Many cases show congestive heart failure, respiratory paralysid and severe anyphalactic reactions. Those surviving, usually are cured symptomatically 5 to 8 weeks after infection, but much longer periods are required in some cases. Death is inevitable, if large quantities are ingested simultaneously.
If that isn't enough to discourage you from eating Bear meat. Bon Appetit
Grizz

quote:

that bears are of the Piggy family

Bears are not "members of the Piggy family", not even close

They are in the Family Ursidae within the Order Carnivora.

Pigs are in the family Suidae within the Order Artiodactyla.

As an aside....I work for the Alberta Pork Marketing board during the summer. There hasn't been a case of Trichinosis from pork since 1955 in Alberta.

the chef

Pigs nowadays don't have much trich. All their food is carefully controlled.
Not so with bears.
Bears will eat anything. They come out in the spring and eat salmon carcasses on the river bank from last fall. Maybe there is a few bad bacteria etc in that?
I have an article I saved from the local paper somewhere around here. It is a quote from an Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game bioliogist. Their test show approximately 80% of Black Bears in Ak. have trich. He guessed that the number was probably closer to 100%. You are certainly welcome to eat any thing you want. I will pass on the bear meat, and cook my boots.

Side note:
After a quick Google search.....State of Alaska, Epidemiology Bulletin 18, "It is prudent to assume all bears in Alaska are infected."

In Montana you are required to bring your bear in to FWP, hide, head and a chunk of tongue for testing for trich. I quarter the bear and stick it in the freezer. When the test comes back clean I thaw it out and cut it up. If it came back infested, I'd just stick it in the trash. (It is my understanding of the game laws that would be legal since contaminated meat is "unfit for consumption".) So far, no infected bears, but I'd test it them every time no matter.

I find bear meat very tasty and it makes very good sausage when mixed with a bit of pork fat. On the other hand I'd never eat a fish caught out of many rivers or lakes, here in Montana, including the Yellowstone. The heavy metal contamination from old mining operations is very real, can you spell cancer...