Level of selected nutrients in meat, liver, tallow and bone marrow from semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer t. tarandus L.)

Objectives: To acquire new knowledge on the nutritional composition of semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer t. tarandus L.) and their nutritional value for humans. The results could be useful in updating the Norwegian Food Composition Database, whose current data on reindeer is limited. Study design: Cross-sectional study on population of semi-domesticated reindeer from 2 northern Norwegian counties (Finnmark and Nordland). Methods: Semi-domesticated reindeer carcasses (n=31) were randomly selected, from which meat, liver, tallow and bone marrow samples were collected. Selected vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and total lipids were studied. Results: As expected, reindeer meat was found to be lean (2% total lipid), thus it is a good source of low-fat meat. The meat was also found to be a good source of vitamin B12, docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5 n-3) and α-linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3). Statistically significant differences (p