Food Safety While Hiking, Camping

& Boating

Ratites (Emu, Ostrich, and Rhea)

USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

1-888-MPHotline

(1-888-674-6854)

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health

agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring

that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products

is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

USDA Photo

Food Safety Information

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

PhotoDisc

Ratites (“RAT-tights”) are a family of flightless birds with small wings and

flat breastbones. Ostrich, emu (“E-mew”) and rhea (“REE-ah”) are

members of this family. Ostrich is native to Africa; emu, to Australia; and

rhea, to South America — particularly the grasslands of Argentina.

When fully grown, ostriches -- the largest birds in the world — stand

about seven to eight-feet tall and can weigh 300 to 400 pounds; emu are

about six feet tall and weigh 125 to 140 pounds. Adult rheas are about

five feet tall and weigh 60 to 100 pounds. The birds are 95-percent usable

as meat, feathers, oil and leather.

Newly hatched chicks usually weigh about two pounds and are about 10

inches tall. Young ratites must be sheltered in a warm place for their first

weeks of life. Adolescent and adult birds are allowed to roam freely in

fenced pastures or pens. Ratites need daily exercise to avoid leg and

digestive problems.

The closely woven wire fences must be 6 to 8 feet high because ratites

can leap over a 5-foot fence. Ratites are fed on grain supplemented by

pasture. Ostrich was the first ratite to be raised in the U.S. There are now

about 1,000 ostrich growers in the U.S. raising about 100,000 birds. Emu

are now raised in at least 43 states by about 10,000 families (3,000 are in

Texas). The emu population is about a million. Rheas are the newest U.S.

farm-raised ratite, but at over 15,000 birds, are the largest population of

farmed rheas.

Yes. Effective April 22, 2002, ratites are under mandatory USDA inspection.

Establishments that slaughter ratites are required to implement and

validate sanitation standard operating procedures and Hazard Analysis

and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems, as required by mandatory

poultry inspection regulations. Previously, voluntary inspection was

available for ostrich beginning in December 1991. Ratites are slaughtered

at about 10 to 13 months of age.

Ratite meat is sold as steaks, fillet, medallions (small coin-shaped pieces

of meat), roasts and ground meat. The most tender meat comes from the

thigh or “fan”; meat also comes from the drum and forequarter.

Red meat is now on the “wing” into innovative restaurants and some meat markets. The latest in meatproducts is from the “ratite” family of flightless birds. It’s lean and tastes like beef, but contains much less

fat. In fact, ratite meat is even lower in calories than chicken and turkey. Ratites have been around for 80 million

years. Here’s some information on the newest meat source in America.

What are ratites?

How are ratites raised?

Are ratites USDA

inspected?

Retail Cuts of Fresh

Ratites
Food Safety Questions?

The USDA is an equal opportunity

 provider and employer.

Revised May 2011

FSIS encourages the reprint and distribution of this publication for food safety

purposes. However, the included image from PhotoDisc, used under license, is

protected by the copyright laws of the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere, and may

not be saved or downloaded except for printing of this publication.

Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

Send E-mail questions to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.

Although ratites are poultry, the pH of their flesh is similar to beef.

Therefore, they are classified as “red” meat. The raw meat is a very dark

cherry red. After cooking, the meat looks like beef and the flavor is similar

but a little sweeter.

The tenderness and texture of farmed ratite meat lends itself to light

grilling, pan frying or roasting. However, because ratite meat is so low in

fat, care must be taken not to overcook it.

Since ratites are classified as red meats, steaks and roasts can be safely

cooked to 145 °F; ground meat should be cooked to 160 °F.

What cooking methods

can be used?

Are ratites “red” or

“white” meat?

Ratites (Emu, Ostrich, and Rhea)

Ask Karen!

FSIS’ automated response

system can provide food safety

information

24/7 and a

live chat

during

Hotline

hours.

If you have a question

about meat, poultry,

or egg products, call

the USDA Meat and

Poultry Hotline

toll free at

1-888-MPHotline

(1-888-674-6854)

The hotline is open

year-round

 Monday through Friday from 10

a.m. to 4 p.m. ET (English

or Spanish).

Recorded food safety

messages are available

24 hours a day. Check

out the

FSIS Web site at

www.fsis.usda.gov. AskKaren.gov

PregunteleaKaren.gov