Abstract
Simple SummaryNowadays, consumers used to being properly informed when purchased animal products. They are influenced by some meat characteristics like colour and tenderness. Nutrition is an important strategy to influence these properties, together with post day ageing processes. In this regard, the inclusion of fresh forage during fattening period and a prolonged maturation time in a monitored refrigeration device as Maturmeat®, were assessed on 16 Italian Mediterranean buffalo bulls. Data regarding physical-chemical analyses, colour and texture on two muscles, the Semitendinosus and the Longissimus muscles, were recorded during two maturation times (30 and 60 days). The combined used of fresh forage inclusion and post dry ageing processes influenced in a different way the two considered muscles, suggesting that different muscles could have different properties. Moreover, meat colour changed in both muscles in animals fed green forage and maturated in Maturmeat® while no significant change was observed in the control group. In conclusion, the use of this monitored post dry ageing system could influence the saleable yield and productivity of buffalo meat and allow the creation of ready-to-eat food, produced starting from raw ground meat, that is very requested by the consumers.We aimed to evaluate the effects of post dry ageing (PDA) period on meat colour and rheological characteristics in 16 buffalo bulls fed two different diets: with (FRS) or without (CTL) rye grass. Animals were randomly divided into two feeding groups and slaughtered at 540 ± 4.7 and 533 ± 7.0 kg of live body weight, respectively, for the CTL and FRS group. After five days post-mortem ageing (T0), Semitendinosus muscle (ST) and Longissimus muscle (LD) underwent a prolonged maturation process in a controlled meat chamber for 30 days (ST) and until 60 days (LD). After 30 days (T1), significant changes (p < 0.01) in meat colour (ΔE) in both muscles of the FRS group was recorded, while no significant change was observed in CTL group. The FRS diet had a positive effect on textural properties of ST muscle compared to CTL diet, as well as hardness, chewiness and gumminess. All qualitative characteristics improved in the first period of PDA but, whereas LD showed to keep improving, extending the post-ageing period by further 30 days, the ST becomes un-processable at 60 days. In conclusion, a combined used of fresh feeding and PDA period could enhance both tenderness and colour in animal fed FSR.
Highlights
Meat is a good source of nutrients for human beings and provides high quality protein, fats, minerals and vitamins [1]
Colour and tenderness are critical to the economic competitiveness of buffalo meat industry as consumers use them as their best indicator for wholesomeness
The interactive effect between diet and post ageing process improved the development of colour and tenderness of both muscles in the fresh group, showing in particular a lower value of redness index, greater lightness value and lower myofibrillar shear force
Summary
Meat is a good source of nutrients for human beings and provides high quality protein, fats, minerals and vitamins [1]. Quality, and organoleptic characteristics, Mediterranean buffalo meat is almost similar to cattle meat of the same age [10] It is appreciated for its lower fat, cholesterol, and calory content [11], and for its positive effects on human cardiovascular risk profile [12]. Several studies have been carried out on ageing system and quality of beef [13,14,15], few studies are available on buffalo meat quality [16] and on the ageing process [17] This is because in Italy, buffalo breeding was primarily focused on milk production, while only recently Italian stockbreeders focused on meat. According to de la Cruz-Cruz et al [18], feeding system and microclimate deeply affect both buffalo welfare and quantitative and qualitative meat production
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