DANVILLE, Ky. — For Brent Williams, a nutritionist and partner at Alpha Roost Farms, alpha-gal syndrome turned a business idea into a personal mission. After developing the tick-borne allergy that makes red meat from mammals dangerous, he found an alternative that brings back the taste he missed: ostrich.
Ostrich as an alternative for alpha-gal syndrome
First connected to a specific tick species about 15 years ago, alpha-gal syndrome has been reported with increasing frequency as more people experience reactions such as hives, diarrhea, and itching after even small amounts of beef or other mammal meat. The allergy does not include seafood or poultry, and chicken, turkey, and eggs remain safe.
Ostrich meat is also safe for those with the condition. The bird’s meat is red in color, rich in iron, and similar in taste and texture to beef.
“The people that have alpha-gal that I talked to that have tried an ostrich burger, most of them are almost in tears,” Williams said. “You just don’t know how bad I missed this.”
Alpha Roost Farms in Danville is preparing to nearly double its herd. The farm recently built a barn for hatchlings of the African native, the world’s largest bird, which can reach nine feet tall, or 2.7 meters, and more than 300 pounds, or 136 kilograms.
The operation has more than 400 birds and expects to reach about 700 next year. Owner W.D. King, who first pitched the ostrich venture to Williams four years ago, said interest from people with alpha-gal is a major driver.
“People who haven’t had a hamburger in six or seven years really want one,” King said.
That demand comes at a premium. A pound of ground ostrich can top 20 dollars, and prime cuts can exceed 40 dollars.
“We have people that drive here from all over the state to get the ostrich,” said Leah Gibbs of Dry Branch Farm market in Danville, which sells Alpha Roost cuts. “They are elated to have something that’s an alternative to beef. I mean, it tastes exactly like beef.”
The Alpha-Gal Association, a nonprofit that provides resources for those with the allergy, recommends ostrich as a beef-like substitute. In Texas, producer Boyd Clark said he plans to boost his roughly 1,200-bird herd by 50 percent next year to meet rising orders.
“We get calls weekly from various restaurants or even small stores in different parts of the country that you wouldn’t think would even want to carry ostrich, but they’re looking for it because they’ve got customers wanting it,” said Clark, who operates Clark Ostrich Farm about 90 miles northwest of Austin.
Ostrich industry learns from past boom-and-bust
The renewed attention follows a boom-and-bust cycle in the 1990s, when many U.S. newcomers jumped into ostrich farming without experience managing the wild birds. Michael Lehman, vice president of the American Ostrich Association and an Oregon producer, said early operators tried to raise ostriches like high-density poultry, a model that failed because the birds require free-range space.
With yields falling short and prices spiking, the industry collapsed. Lehman estimated there are about 10 to 15 large-scale ostrich farms in operation today, run by producers who better understand the birds’ behavior and space needs.
Understanding alpha-gal and tick exposure
Williams was diagnosed with alpha-gal seven years ago. His first severe reaction came in 2017 after a routine steak sandwich on a work trip.
An allergist quickly asked about tick exposure. Williams, who grew up around livestock in tick-prone areas, had been bitten many times.
Doctors explained that the tick carried the alpha-gal sugar found in most mammal meat but not in humans. While harmless when eaten, exposure through a tick’s saliva can trigger the immune system to create antibodies that later react to the sugar, rendering mammal meat unsafe for those affected.
The condition is relatively new to medical literature, with a key link to tick bites described in 2011. In 2023, a government report estimated about 100,000 people in the United States had been diagnosed, though experts said the true number could be closer to 500,000 because many people do not realize they have it.
Researchers reported the first known death associated with the allergy last year, involving a 47-year-old New Jersey man who died in 2024.
After his diagnosis, Williams avoided all mammal products entirely, even grill fumes or gelatin on pills. “It’s been eight years, but I still vividly remember how sick I was,” he said.
When he finally tried ostrich, his wife having ordered steaks online, the experience stood out. “The mouth feel, the taste, the texture, it brought me good memories … because there’s only so many ways you can cook a chicken,” he said.
The condition’s growing prevalence has begun to intersect with broader debates over public health and government response, similar to concerns raised in reports on federal enforcement actions in local communities. As more people seek information and support, organizations like the Alpha-Gal Information resource site have emerged alongside advocacy groups.