Castle Estate’s works, near Camperdown, already processes venison and rabbit, as well as kangaroo from interstate suppliers, alongside cattle, sheep and pigs.

This year’s state government Kangaroo Harvesting Program will include meat for human consumption, with a quota of 95,680 kangaroos, an increase of 37,780 from last year.

Castle managing director Steve Castle said it was a natural progression, given so many animals were being harvested for pet food.

“Other parts of the country have also been harvesting kangaroo for human consumption for quite some time,” Mr Castle said.

“It is a similar production method to the deer.

“Obviously the kangaroo is a lot smaller than the Sambar venison that we have already been doing, but it is not a difficult change from a processing point of view.”

He said he’d made inquiries to see if the government was considering allowing the sale of kangaroo meat for human consumption.

“It was already in process, they were already in the stages of working towards this.”

Mr Castle said the numbers he was processing were low, at the moment.

‘We are talking in the hundreds, not thousands, but it gives us the opportunity to continue to establish that market,” he said.

Castle sold kangaroo meat directly to consumers, through home delivery, and the hospitality trade.

“Kangaroo has been used in hospitality for quite a while now, so there is already somewhat of an established trade.

“There are more and more consumers out there, who are willing to give these sorts of proteins a go.”

Kangaroos would be supplied by registered field harvesters, with a strong focus on animal welfare and hygiene.

“Food safety and animal welfare are the two key components of the supply chain,” Mr Castle said.

“I am not suggesting it will ever be like beef or lamb, but slowly and surely there is a market there.

“If we can get it to market, at a competitive rate, there will be an appetite there for it.

“When you are a small business, you have to have lots of different avenues and revenue streams; this compliments some of our other offerings.”

https://www.standard.net.au/story/7107767/roos-to-be-processed-in-camperdown/?cs=13964

The post Castle Estate granted first Victorian licence to process kangaroo meat for human consumption in the state appeared first on Castle Estate Food Co.

Castle Estate is the only abattoir in Victoria cultivating kangaroo meat for human consumption, under a new license allocated by the Andrews Labor Government, connecting Victorians with the delicious, lean meat. 

After almost 120,000 kangaroos were culled in 2020 (for the production of pet food or inhumanely left to rot in paddocks), the Castle Estate family has made a foray into another realm of farming for 2021. With Food Safety as a top priority the facilities at Castle Estate are perfect to ensure that the highest standards are met to enable the meat fit for human consumption.  Castle Estate enforce the guidelines working with professional hunters and licenced field harvesters to enable this to come to market.

Ethical, natural and sustainable farming is in the Castle Family’s blood. Unwavering advocates for human farming practices, Castle Estate is the only Abattoir to have been awarded the licence to process Kangaroo as part of this program in Victoria.

All harvesters looking to supply kangaroos for human consumption, must be registered and certified under the Victorian Kangaroo Harvesting Program and the relevant Primesafe Licensing. In a bid to celebrate and humanely harvest the animal, Castle Estate is embracing the kangaroo in a 100% wild, organic, grass-fed way of farming. 

“We see kangaroo harvest as an opportunity to utilise the protein source like other parts of the country have done for many years,” says Steven Castle

“Reducing waste and maximising the accessibility and premium quality of meat for consumption per animal is one of our key values, and our approach to kangaroo harvesting is no exception to this legacy. Rearing animals takes years and is a process that we believe deserves respect as do the animals themselves.”

Castle Estate is now the conduit for healthy, high-quality kangaroo meat to land on Australian families’ tables. The nutritional value ofkangaroo meat has less than 2% fat, making it a healthier alternative to other red meat counterparts. 

Kangaroo meat is also high in protein and essential B vitamins, as well as minerals such as zinc, iron and omega 3 fats and omega 6 fatty acids. Kangaroo also contains double the amount of iron in beef and triple that of chicken and pork, making it a welcome addition to any modern Australian diet. 

Compounding myriad health benefits, Kangaroo meat is also an environmentally-friendly protein, boasting low-emissions and significantly reducing the animal’s negative impact on the land. This year, the local government will cull 4.8% of the kangaroo population in order to help farmers reduce the animal’s destruction of local crops, with Castle Estate being able to turn waste into a sustainable source of protien. 

The Victoria Government Press Release regarding the new kangaroo harvesting licence awarded to Castle Estate can be found here:

https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/paddock-plate-option-table-kangaroo-harvest

For further information, please contact Colby Stacey at:

Digital White Space

Phone 0431 656 035

Email colby@digitalwhitespace.com.au 

The post Castle Estate introduces sustainable kangaroo harvest into its paddock-to-plate legacy. appeared first on Castle Estate Food Co.

Govt Victoria Press Release regarding this licence here: https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/paddock-plate-option-table-kangaroo-harvest

Also seen in the ABC news

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-28/kangaroo-harvest-expands-to-include-meat-for-human-consumption/13098870

• This is a credit to the Castle Estate Abattoir facilities and our business values. 
• We are advocates for reducing waste and maximising the available meat for consumption.
• This has a further positive environmental impact by reducing the need to import Kangaroo meat into Victoria from other states as we have never had the opportunity or licence to do so.
• All harvesters looking to supply kangaroos for human consumption, must be registered and certified under the Victorian Kangaroo Harvesting Program (ref Kangaroo Harvesting Victoria (https://djpr.vic.gov.au/game-hunting/kangaroo-harvesting ) and the relevant Primesafe Licensing.

As we know kangaroo’s roam wild in nature, eating grass which is their natural diet so they are completely untampered with by any human interaction. Truly organic, their meat is not exposed to hormones or antibiotics, they are not kept in cages or consume foods that is not native. This is probably why Kangaroo meat is so nutritious, lean and really great alternative source of protein with less than 2% fat.

Kangaroo is a healthier red meat option, as it is also high in protein, essential B vitamins, minerals such as zinc, iron and omega 3 fats and omega 6 fatty acids. Compared to beef, kangaroo contains double the amount of iron and triple that of chicken and pork.

We are excited to be featuring a whole range of Kangaroo Recipes to inspire you to jump on board with us expanding your red meat varieties with Kangaroo!

Get ready to order your Kangaroo meat from our online store. 

Any question or pre-order contact us.
Address: 191 Purrumbete Estate Rd, Koallah, VIC 3260
Telephone: +61 3 5594 5222
Fax: +61 3 8677 5469
Email: info@castleestate.com.au

The post Victorian Kangaroo is on the menu appeared first on Castle Estate Food Co.