Carcass characteristics and instrumental meat quality of suckling kids and lambs

C Sañudo,E Muela,A Horcada,R Delfa,M J Alcalde,M M Campo,J L Olleta,I Cilla,I Oliveira,R Jiménez-Badillo

doi:10.5424/sjar/2012103-670-11

Abstract

Meat from very young, milk-fed, small ruminants is an appreciated product in Mediterranean countries where milk is the main product derived from the herds. Nevertheless, many aspects of the quality of the products are virtually unknown for many goat breeds, especially among those that are reared for their meat. In this study, the quality from 50 animals from 5 local goat breeds (one dairy purpose and 4 meat purpose) and 19 lambs (from Churra, a dairy breed) was compared at commercial cold carcass weights of 4.4-6.6 kg. Carcass quality, ultimate pH and meat colour were assessed following standard procedures. Statistical differences (p<0.05) were found in all of the variables analysed. Some of these differences might have been due to the influence of the genotype, the dam's production potential, or differences in carcass weight and age, but most were species dependent. Lambs differed from the kids, especially from those of meat purpose breeds, due to their high proportion of bone (25.0 vs. 21.3 to 23.7%), and a more intense meat colour (higher hue: 29.2 vs. 23.4 to 28.7, and chroma: 14.6 vs. 12.1 to 14.6). Among the goat breeds, Murciano Granadina (dairy breed) and Blanca Celtibérica (meat breed) were the most different in terms of carcass morphology, fatness, and meat colour. The other three local meat-purpose goat breeds (Moncaína, Negra Serrana, and Pirenaica) differed little. To obtain a better understanding of goat species, the differences among breeds, in kids or in their most common products, require further studies.

Highlights

On a global scale, the production of meat from small ruminants is relatively small; in some regions, especially dry or mountainous habitats, where other species cannot thrive, small-ruminant species are very important
In the lamb meat industry, many commercial branches, trademarks, and Geographical Protected Indications (GPI) exist, but generally this is not true in the goat meat industry, especially when we considered meat purpose breeds
Average carcass weights ranged from 4.38 kg (MG breed) to 6.56 kg in Blanca Celtibérica (BC) breed

Summary

Introduction

The production of meat from small ruminants is relatively small; in some regions, especially dry or mountainous habitats, where other species cannot thrive, small-ruminant species are very important Goat products such as meat, milk and dairy products are important protein sources of animal origin for local people of rural areas, especially in developing countries (Ekiz et al, 2010). In the lamb meat industry, many commercial branches, trademarks, and Geographical Protected Indications (GPI) exist, but generally this is not true in the goat meat industry, especially when we considered meat purpose breeds Those breeds, which are not milked, are raised in agro-pastoral production systems on arid rangelands with traditional, socially tolerant, and sustainable techniques, and in harmony with the local environment (Shrestha & Fahmy, 2005). Goats are no longer synonymous with underdevelopment and poverty because they can be an important source of products in many parts of the world (Dubeuf & Boyazoglu, 2009)

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