The countries using this guide all will cut using the same specifications. Stadelman, professor emeritus of food science, says ostriches originally were grown for their feathers and the leather from their hides. It's just been in the last 12 years or so that the meat has been marketed in the United States. It is not a challenge to find meat on the lanky birds. But it's a cumbersome journey to raise and bring the bird to market when you're putting an ostrich burger up against a hamburger, even if it's more nutritious.
Distribution also is held up because ostrich is still more expensive than other meats.
Schmieder says the meat looks just like beef but is very lean. The absence of fat gives it a different texture than beef, but it's very juicy and tender when cooked properly. The groundwork is laid in the states, it's just going to take time and money to make the market work here. In the meantime, we'll continue sending our meat and birds across the oceans. The ostrich association says neither the U.S. Department of Agriculture nor the Census Bureau tracks the ostrich population as they do other species of livestock, but based on a survey of its membership, the association estimates there are between 350,000 and 500,000 ostriches of all ages in the United States.