Bear meat: rich in iron, and it must be cooked to 165 °F (74 °C)

The fact that matters most about bear meat is safety. The CDC says bear and other game meat must reach at least 165 °F (74 °C) inside to kill Trichinella, and that freezing might not be enough. After a 2023 gathering in North Carolina where bear meat was served, there were 10 probable cases of trichinellosis. Bear meat is also high in iron. In US survey data an 3 oz (85 g) portion of cooked bear gives about 9 mg iron, 27 g protein and 218 calories, from a single entry that does not name the species or cut. The only strong trial evidence nearby is about iron supplements. A meta-analysis of 13 randomized trials found heme iron raised hemoglobin 1.06 g/dL more than non-heme iron in children with anemia or low iron stores (95% CI 0.34 to 1.78), and across the trials side effects were 38% lower. The authors rated the certainty very low, and the heme iron was a supplement, not meat.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Raw bear meat carries 6.65 mg iron and 0.68 mg riboflavin per 3.5 oz (100 g), and across four USDA bear records iron runs from 6.1 to 10.73 mg. — USDA SR Legacy and Alaska Native bear records (n = 4 records) Evidence E source
  Raw: iron 6.65 mg, protein 20.1 g, riboflavin 0.68 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g); across records iron 6.1-10.73 mg, protein 20.1-32.42 g

What a real portion looks like

• A typical 3 oz (85 g) portion of cooked bear meat gives about 27 g protein, 9 mg iron and 218 calories in US survey data. — US household measures, FNDDS (n = 1 food code) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: protein 32.16 g, iron 10.64 mg, energy 257 calories; per 85 g: 27.3 g, 9.0 mg, 218.4 calories

What your body absorbs

• Heme iron supplements raised hemoglobin 1.06 g/dL more than non-heme iron in children with anemia or low iron stores, and side effects were 38% lower across the trials. — 13 RCTs comparing heme with non-heme iron; subgroup of children with anemia or low iron stores (n = 13 RCTs) Evidence A source
  Hb MD 1.06 g/dL (95% CI 0.34 to 1.78) in anemic children; side effects RR 0.62 (0.40 to 0.96)
• In 208 anemic infants, heme iron matched ferrous sulfate on hemoglobin over 84 days but raised serum iron 48.4% more. — 208 anemic Gambian infants aged 6-12 months, 10 mg iron daily for 84 days (n = 208) Evidence B source
  No difference in Hb or ferritin; serum iron +48.4% (95% CI 15.4% to 91.0%), transferrin saturation +52.3%

What cooking and storage change

• Arctic Trichinella survives freezing and fermenting: larvae lived up to 24 months in frozen fermented meat, and 24.3% of 259 Chukotka residents carried antibodies. — 259 aboriginal residents of two Chukotka settlements; traditional fermented frozen marine mammal meat (n = 259) Evidence C source
  Seroprevalence 24.3%; T. nativa larvae viable up to 24 months
• Freezing and curing game meat may not control freeze-resistant Trichinella nativa, and cooking was rarely tested as a controlled step. — 65 records on processing of game meat (n = 65 records) Evidence D source
  Direction only
• CDC says bear and other game meat must reach at least 165°F (74°C) inside to kill Trichinella, and freezing may not be enough. — attendees of a 2023 North Carolina gathering where bear meat was served Evidence E source
  10 probable trichinellosis cases; cooking to 165°F prevents infection

Safety, limits and interactions

• Raw bear meat can carry Trichinella nativa, which has caused heart muscle inflammation in a person who ate it. — one patient (n = 1) Evidence D source
  T. nativa myocarditis after raw bear meat

Who this works differently for

• East Greenland Inuit eating over 7.1 oz (200 g) of polar bear a week had higher blood PCB, PFAS, arsenic and selenium. — 58 Inuit adults (37 men, 21 women) in three east Greenland municipalities, 2013-2015 (n = 58) Evidence C source
  Significantly higher PCB, PFAS, arsenic and selenium with >200 g polar bear per week

The bottom line

Freezing fails because the Arctic parasite species, Trichinella nativa, tolerates cold. In Chukotka its larvae survived up to 24 months in a frozen, fermented marine mammal meat, and 24.3% of 259 local residents carried antibodies. That was marine mammal meat, not bear, though the same species is found in bears. A review of 65 records on game meat processing found freezing and curing may not control it, and cooking was rarely tested as a controlled step. T. nativa has caused heart muscle inflammation in one reported person who ate raw bear meat. Polar bear adds a second caution. Among 58 Inuit adults in east Greenland, those eating more than 7.1 oz (200 g) of polar bear a week had higher blood PCB, PFAS, arsenic and selenium. It was a small cross-sectional study of polar bear only, and it says nothing about black or brown bear. We found no card on bear meat in pregnancy or alongside medicines. Raw bear meat carries 6.65 mg iron, 20.1 g protein and 0.68 mg riboflavin per 3.5 oz (100 g). Across four USDA bear records iron runs from 6.1 to 10.73 mg, and cooked records read higher because water is lost. On the iron form, a trial in 208 anemic Gambian infants aged 6 to 12 months gave 10 mg iron a day for 84 days. Heme iron matched ferrous sulfate on hemoglobin and raised serum iron 48.4% more (95% CI 15.4% to 91.0%), again as a supplement. No study we found has tested bear meat itself on any health outcome.

Sources

1. bear-r8-02 · reference dataset
   FDC 173845 Game meat, bear, raw: Iron 6.65 mg, Protein 20.1 g, Riboflavin 0.68 mg per 100 g · 4 bear records: iron 6.1-10.73 mg, protein 20.1-32.42 g, riboflavin 0.573-0.82 mg
   USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy, Game meat, bear, raw (FDC 173845) · checked 2026-09-28
2. bear-r8-01 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2705918 Bear: Protein 32.16 g/100 g, quantity not specified 85 g 27.3 g · Iron 10.64 mg/100 g, 85 g 9.0 mg · Energy 257 kcal/100 g, 85 g 218.4 kcal
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 · checked 2026-09-28
3. bear-r8-03 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   The meta-analysis showed higher hemoglobin increases in children with anemia or low iron stores receiving HI (MD 1.06 g/dL; 95% CI: 0.34; 1.78; CoE: very low). ... Participants receiving HI had a 38% relative risk reduction of total side effects compared to NHI (RR 0.62; 95% CI 0.40; 0.96; CoE: very low).
   Eur J Nutr, 2024 · checked 2026-09-28
4. bear-r8-04 · randomized controlled trial
   Infants who received HIP had higher serum iron concentration (by 48.4%; 95% CI: 15.4%, 91.0%), higher transferrin saturation (by 52.3%; 95% CI: 17.9%, 96.7%), lower soluble transferrin receptor concentrations (by -9.7%; 95% CI: -16.3%, -2.6%) and lower unsaturated iron-binding capacity (by -7.8%; 95% CI: -13.4%, -1.7%).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-28
5. bear-r8-06 · prevalence study
   A seroprevalence of 24.3% was detected in 259 people tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). ... Trichinella nativa larvae were found to survive for up to 24 months in a fermented and frozen marine mammal meat product called kopalkhen.
   J Helminthol, 2019 · checked 2026-09-28
6. bear-r8-07 · systematic review
   Refrigeration and freezing are commonly employed preservation methods but they may not control all hazards, including freeze-resistant parasites (e.g., Trichinella nativa) and psychrotrophic bacteria capable of growing at low temperatures.
   Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
7. bear-r8-08 · government agency report
   Cooking game meat to a safe internal temperature (≥165°F [≥74°C]) will kill Trichinella spp. and prevent infection, whereas freezing might not be sufficient
   CDC MMWR, Notes from the Field: Suspected Outbreak of Trichinellosis Associated with Undercooked Bear Meat, North Carolina, November 2023 (2024) · checked 2026-09-28
8. bear-r8-05 · case report
   The specific genotype Trichinella nativa has been found in raw bear meat. ... We present a case of T nativa myocarditis secondary to consumption of raw bear meat.
   Can J Cardiol, 2021 · checked 2026-09-28
9. bear-r8-09 · cross-sectional
   We observed that Inuit with intake of >200 g polar bear per week had significantly higher levels of PCB, PFAS, arsenic and selenium.
   Chemosphere, 2023 · checked 2026-09-28