As the price of beef continues to rise, bison—which is even more expensive—looks less exorbitant.
The lean meat fits into a growing diet trend, Paleo, which emphasizes pasture-raised meat. According to CNBC, customers who purchase bison are looking for a healthy product that has a unique flavor, but the supply is not large enough to create a market to affordably put bison on menus nationwide.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) considers bison a “nonamenable species,” meaning it does not require the meat be inspected before sale. However, the agency is preparing to conduct its first survey of the nation’s commercial bison herd, determining its size, health and production issues.