Abstract
Interest in the preservation of autochthonous breeds such as the Blanca Andaluza goat (meat breed), raised under grazing-based management, has recently increased among Spanish farmers. A study of the possibilities of transformation to organic production needs to analyze the quality of their products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fatty acid (FA) composition of muscle and adipose tissues of Blanca Andaluza goat kids under organic and conventional grazing–based management system. Twenty-four twin kids (12 males, 12 females) were selected from each system. The FA profile was determined in the longissimus thoracis muscle, kidney and pelvic fat. The percentages of C17:0, C17:1, C20:1, C20:4 n-6, C22:2 and several n-3 FAs were higher in organic meat; C12:0, C18:1 trans-11, CLA and C20:5 n-3 were lower in organic meat. The fat depots from the conventional kids showed lower percentages of C12:0, C14:0, C15:0, C17:0, C17:1, C18:3 n-3 and atherogenicity index, and higher percentage of C18:0. In the pelvic fat, the conventional kids displayed lower percentages of C16:0, C18:2 n-6 cis, PUFA, n-3 and n-6 FAs, and greater percentages of C18:1 n-9 cis and MUFA. The conventional kids displayed a major n6:n3 ratio in the kidney fat. No gender differences were observed. Significant differences were found only in some FA percentages of muscle and adipose tissues of suckling kids raised in organic and conventional livestock production systems, and due to this reason conventional grazing–based management farms could easily be transformed into organic production.
Highlights
In Spain there are 6,074 organic farms and Andalusia contains the majority of these with 3,683 farms
Organic farming is of particular interest in the Mediterranean area, where it may play a role in safeguarding agricultural functions and preserving rural villages, with positive effects on the quality of life in these communities
The percentages of the individual fatty acid (FA) and the FA groups in the longissimus thoracis muscle, pelvic and kidney fats of Blanca Andaluza goat kids stratified by livestock production system and gender are shown from Table 2 to Table 4
Summary
In Spain there are 6,074 organic farms and Andalusia (in Southern Spain) contains the majority of these with 3,683 farms. Interest in the preservation of autochthonous breeds, raised using extensive or semi-extensive grazing, has recently increased among Spanish farmers and many of these breeds, such as the Blanca Andaluza goat (meat breed), are considered as special protection breeds (BOE, 2006). Converting these breeds to organic production should be straightforward owing to the adaptive capacity and disease resistance of autochthonous breeds and to the rustic environment and nutritional resources available in Andalusia’s mountain. A study of the possibilities of transformation to organic production needs to analyze, the technical and economical viability of the organic production systems, and the quality of their products, specially the suckling kids meat
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