Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyse changes in the quality of meat ( M. longissimus lumborum ) from 11 fallow deer ( Dama dama L.) bucks, which had been deep-frozen (-26 °C) for 10 months. The proximate chemical composition, physico-chemical properties and sensory properties of the meat were analysed. Fallow deer aged 17–18 months were hunter-harvested in north-eastern Poland in November and December of the same hunting season. The results revealed that freezer storage did not influence the proximate chemical composition of meat (protein, fat, ash) or the content of water-soluble nitrogen compounds. An analysis of the physico-chemical properties of meat revealed that long-term freezer-stored meat was characterized by higher pH, lower contribution of redness (a*) and yellowness (b*), lower chroma (C*), greater natural drip loss, lower ability to bind added water, and greater cooking loss. Freezer storage improved meat tenderness but reduced meat juiciness. The results of the study also indicated that long-term freezer storage (-26 °C) of vacuum-packaged meat allowed it to maintain its good quality, which indicates that this storage method could help meet consumer demand for fallow deer meat between hunting seasons. Keywords : Freezing, game meat, meat quality, vacuum packaging
Highlights
Red meat is regarded as a source of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids, which increase the risk of various diseases (Binnie et al, 2014; Battaglia Richi et al, 2015)
The experimental material comprised 11 samples of the M. longissimus lumborum (MLL) from the carcasses of male fallow deer (Dama dama L.), that were supplied to a meat-processing plant
Natural variations in the chemical composition of ML could contribute to differences in the proximate chemical composition of meat samples before and after freezer storage
Summary
Red meat is regarded as a source of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids, which increase the risk of various diseases (Binnie et al, 2014; Battaglia Richi et al, 2015). Nutrition-conscious consumers are increasingly likely to opt for products that are characterized by high nutritional value and those that deliver health benefits This trend has increased the demand for lean meat (McNeill, 2014). Game meat is lean (Nuernberg et al, 2009), and is characterized by high protein content and a healthy fatty acid profile (Zomborszky et al, 1996; Hoffman & Wiklund, 2006; Valencak et al, 2015) It is abundant in macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, and other bioactive components (Zomborszky et al, 1996; Florek & Drozd, 2013; Strazdina et al, 2014)
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