An Evaluation of Nutritional Quality of Traditionally Processed Camel Meat (Nyirinyiri): Value Chain Assessment and Recommendations

Abstract

Nyirinyiri is a ready to eat meat product prepared from dehydrated camel meat that is deep fried in fat. This study was conducted to determine the effect of processing and storage on the nutritional properties of camel Nyirinyiri in a total of 35 samples represented by fresh camel meat and Nyirinyiri collected at different nodes along the value chain. The results showed that traditional processing of camel meat had a significant effect on the nutritional composition. The mean values for crude protein, crude lipids and free fatty acid at the different nodes of the value chain were significantly different at P<0.05% level. The crude protein increased significantly (P<0.05) from 25.26% at production to 49.68% and 48.07% at processing and marketing respectively. There was a significant increase in crude lipids between production (1.18%) and processing (22.04%) nodes of the value chain. However, the increase at marketing (24.01%) was not significant. There was a significant increase (P<0.05) in free fatty acid (FFA) level from 0.2% at production to 0.73% at processing relative to 0.98% at marketing node of the value chain. Processing of camel meat into Nyirinyiri improves the nutrient composition especially, the protein and fat thus making it nutrient dense. The study revealed that camel Nyirinyiri is of high nutritional quality and therefore could be of great relevance to food security and income for the pastoral processors.