Certainly there are people, we’ve seen it many times, that have no clue how to handle game in the field. But some of us kinda know what we are doing, never got sick from our game. Seems the State of Utah would at least make it possible, some how.
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I don’t know about Utahans but if I was getting fed from a food bank or Kitchen and the food was cooked properly, I’d eat venison that was donated. Evidently, the Utah government believes that it’s better for people to go hungry than to choose to eat donated food at a food bank or Kitchen. I wouldn’t object if signs were posted to indicate the donated meat was being served to enable people to make up their own minds.
I wonder how many food processing plants have EVERY piece of meat inspected by the Dept. Of Agriculture?
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One can in Nevada.
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Unfortunately, here in Michigan it is becoming harder to do. The state is mandating testing for lead and the processors just can’t afford to do that for meat they are giving to food banks. I personally think they are way over thinking this as it would take many years and years of the tiny amounts you may (note I say may) ingest before being affected. Most of the butchers I know cut that area away from the carcass when they process the meat anyway. Your chance of getting any lead is pretty miniscule.
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Insurance companies, lawyers, and unscrupulous people are the reasons…
When I worked at 7-11 on graveyard, I had to dispose of all the “fresh foods”. Including all the impossible to kill microwave in bag burritos.
When I asked why? I was told “because if the homeless guy who eats that “free” burrito gets sick, we (the company) are liable for it”
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The Utah Food Bank requires donated food to have a USDA stamp of approval. Shane Brown, manager at Champion Meats, said that is tough to achieve for game meat.
Lack of education among common folks is to blame. The misinformed or ill-informed are easy to scare and manipulate.
See related case in California regarding E. coli.
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The following information is from the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation website. It’s a pretty good program and does some good. The meat processors have a special license to process wild game, and there is at least one in every county.
Hunters Against Hunger is a cooperative program with YOU, your local processor, and the Wildlife Department, that provides high-quality meals to Oklahoma’s hungry.
How the program works:
Hunters who legally harvest a deer during any of this year’s deer seasons can donate the meat to feed hungry Oklahomans. Simply deliver the deer to the nearest participating meat processor (listed below) after you check in the deer. To help with processing charges, each donator is asked to contribute a tax-deductible $10 to assist with the program. That fulfills your obligation unless you wish to pay the entire processing fee, which is a tax-deductible donation as well. The ground venison will then be distributed to the needy through a network of qualified, charitable organizations.
Participation by meat processors and hunters is the key to success in helping feed Oklahoma’s hungry. We also would like to pay special thanks to the local food pantry networks of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma for their participation.
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Sounds like a successful program. Wouldn’t it be nice if states contacted OWC for details of the program with an eye toward launching a program of their own if they don’t currently have one?
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There, no government overreach! 
Enough of tyrants, especially unelected bureaucrats!
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