Abstract
Simple SummaryIn smallholder communal farming systems, Nguni people slaughter goats using indigenous methods which have cultural and spiritual significance to them. Nguni wethers were slaughtered using the transverse neck incision (TNI), suprasternal notch (SNP) and under the shoulder blade at the chest floor point of elbow piercing (CFP) to the direction of the heart to assess meat physico-chemical characteristics parameters. Nguni wethers slaughtered with the TNI and CFP methods produced meat with an acceptable appearance similar to goats slaughtered with the conventional standard procedures.To improve goat meat quality in rural communities, it is important to evaluate the effects of indigenous slaughter methods used by resource-limited farmers when performing traditional ceremonies on the meat physico-chemical characteristics. The current study assessed the effects of the meat physico-chemical characteristics of Nguni goats slaughtered with the transverse neck incision (TNI), suprasternal notch piercing (SNP) and the under shoulder blade piercing at the chest floor point of elbow (CFP) to the direction of the heart methods. Thirty Nguni weathers were randomly assigned to three slaughter treatments (10 goats/treatment). Musculus longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) was sampled at post-mortem for physico-chemical characteristic measurements. Meat from wethers slaughtered with the SNP method had greater ultimate pH values than meat from wethers slaughtered with TNI and CFP slaughter methods. Wethers slaughtered with the SNP method had lower meat redness (a*), yellowness (b*), and chroma (C*) values than those slaughtered with TNI and CFP slaughter methods. Goat slaughter method did not affect meat drip loss, water holding capacity, cooking loss and shear force. Overall, Nguni wethers slaughtered with the TNI and CFP methods produced chevon with fresher meat appearance than those slaughtered using the SNP method.
Highlights
Indigenous slaughter methods include the transverse neck incision (TNI), suprasternal notch piercing (SNP) and the under shoulder blade piercing at the chest floor point of elbow (CFP) to the direction of the heart [12]
It was greater for the SNP when compared with the TNI and CFP slaughter methods (Table 1)
Nguni goats slaughtered using SNP slaughter method had higher pH24 h than other slaughter methods, which resulted in lower meat redness, yellowness and chroma values
Summary
In developing countries (e.g., Africa and the Middle East) where more than 90% of the world’s goat population is found [2], goats are the second most important and abundant ruminant livestock species following cattle [3]. Such importance is due to their ability to graze and browse poor quality forage, survive feed- and water-scarce [4]. Goats are owned and kept by smallholder farmers for meat (chevon), milk, manure, skin and hides [6]. Smallholder farmers keep goats for socio-economic purposes, the primary reason is to use them for religious and cultural beliefs [7]
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