Ostrich, the Fate of the Healthier Red Meat

Sep 3, 2011 by M. Velez

Will that be beef or ostrich? Ostrich is quickly becoming the popular alternative red meat for health dieters. Ostrich farms are cropping up all over the United States and the meat is making its way into restaurants and markets.

Ostriches are large flightless birds. However, unlike chicken and turkey, the meat is red. According to the USDA Nutrient Data table and the World Ostrich Association, Ostrich meat is lower in saturated fat and calories than beef, chicken, turkey, and pork. In fact, it is so lean, that it doesn’t shrink when you cook it. Ostrich is also high in protein and iron, and its flavor is similar to beef, but with a slightly sweeter taste.

With ostrich meat popularity on the rise, one has to wonder if this healthier red meat could one day replace the cow. Ostriches are already mass-produced in many countries, including the United States. They are widely used for their skin, feathers, and oil. And now with their meat becoming popular on the menu, it would be weird to one day hear something like “Ostrich, it’s what’s for dinner” by some future Ostrich Checkoff Program.

There are a few ostrich farms throughout the United States with a few right here on the East Coast. However, part of the charm of the ostrich meat is not just that it’s healthier, but it’s also not so massively produced as the cow meat, at least not yet.

High demands for a product usually places high stress on production and supply. We have seen this happen with chicken, pork, and beef. And sadly, along with mass production, the humane treatment of animals also tends to take a dip. Although this is not the case with every farmer, it is the case with factory farming. If you need to use mass-production techniques to meet mass consumer demands, humane treatment will be an issue.

When it comes to health, beef’s popularity has taken a nose dive with mad cow, saturated fat content, and links to early mortality. While ostrich has a lower saturated fat and calorie content, it is still a red meat with cholesterol levels as high as beef.

High consumer demands of animal products and monetary greed leads to mass production which introduces antibiotics, hormones, questionable feed, and overpopulation in limited spaces—as we’ve seen done with beef, chicken, pork, and turkey, is the ostrich next in line? Or would the ostrich replace the cow, and the cow become the ostrich? Only time would tell. I hear buffalo burgers are pretty good.

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