Relationship between Consumers' Perceptions about Goat Kid Meat and Meat Sensory Appraisal.

The goat meat preferred by consumers in Spain comes from suckling goat kids, slaughtered at a live weight of 8-10 kg. However, consumption of this meat is very uncommon, so it is necessary to show its value. To achieve this, we planned to investigate consumers' perceptions about goat kid meat and to study whether their perceptions are related to their sensory appraisal of the meat, measured by the mean of the consumers' home tests. The experiment was conducted with 30 volunteer families (from two cities with different consumption patterns), who were surveyed regarding their sociodemographic parameters, purchasing and eating habits, and the importance of the meat's attributes. As a result, four clusters were obtained, which were labeled "negative," "idealistic," "positive," and "concerned about fat content". The parameters of the animal production system were valued differently by the clusters. Meat tenderness, taste, and amount of fat were considered very decisive factors by most respondents. When the goat kid meat was valued, tenderness was considered more important than taste among older people ("negative" cluster), whereas there was not so much difference between the appraisal of all parameters for the other three clusters. We conclude that it is necessary to improve the information received by consumers about goat production systems and meat quality parameters. There is certainly potential for creating new markets, especially targeted toward young consumers and considering specific strategies for the different groups of consumers, depending on the region and habits of consumption.

Influence of Dietary Algae Meal on Lipid Oxidation and Volatile Profile of Meat from Lambs with Competent Reticular Groove Reflex.

Dietary lipid sources influence intramuscular fatty acid composition, which in turn may affect the volatile profile of meat. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of marine algae supplementation (Aurantiochytrium limacinum) on volatile compounds of cooked lamb meat. Forty-eight lambs with 42 days of age were divided into three groups: lambs fed a conventional diet without algae meal supplementation (NOALG), lambs with competent reticular groove reflex (RGR) fed the same diet supplemented with 2.5% marine algae meal mixed in the concentrate (ALGCON), and lambs with competent RGR, receiving the same diet and fed with 2.5% marine algae meal in a milk replacer to bypass the rumen (ALGMILK). Lipid and protein oxidation in raw meat was assessed and volatile compounds in grilled meat were determined. The highest and lowest lipid oxidations were observed in the ALGMILK and NOALG groups, respectively. Protein oxidation was unaffected. Out of 56 identified compounds, 12 volatiles significantly increased in both algae groups and 6 of them exclusively in the ALGCON treatment. Algae meal supplementation and its form of administration, either protected or not from rumen degradation, are important factors to consider in lipid oxidation and the aromatic profile of lamb meat.

Organoleptic and Nutritional Traits of Lambs from Spanish Mediterranean Islands Raised under a Traditional Production System.

Our aim was to characterize the organoleptic and nutritional properties of meat from suckling (one-month-old) and light (around three-months-old) lambs in local breeds on the Spanish Mediterranean islands, using meat from male lambs of the Mallorquina and Roja Mallorquina breeds. The lambs were kept with their mother at all times under an extensive management system and fed on mother's milk until naturally weaned. In the Mallorquina breed, suckling lambs (n = 20) were slaughtered after weaning and the light lambs were bred using natural pasture (n = 20) or concentrate (n = 20), and the Roja Mallorquina light lambs were fed pasture and concentrate (n = 20). The pH, colour, texture, water-holding capacity, fatty acids, volatile compounds and sensorial attributes of the meat were analyzed. No differences in meat colour or texture were observed. The highest levels of non-desirable fatty acids were observed in lambs raised using concentrate. Light lambs showed a higher aldehydes content than suckling lambs. High notes of lactic acid and milk flavour were detected. Regardless of access to pasture or concentrate, continued access to mother's milk during rearing influences the sensorial meat traits of these lambs, so we consider this type of management an optimal way of obtaining the traditional 'Mediterranean lamb meat'.

Better Animal Feeding for Improving the Quality of Ruminant Meat and Dairy.

The quality of meat and dairy products can be evaluated from the perspective of the farmer seeking high yields and profits or the consumer for whom sensory characteristics are the most important, although health and ethical aspects, such as animal welfare and the environmental impact of the production system, are increasingly becoming concerns worldwide [...].

Physicochemical Composition, Antioxidant Status, Fatty Acid Profile, and Volatile Compounds of Milk and Fresh and Ripened Ewes' Cheese from a Sustainable Part-Time Grazing System.

We conducted the first nutritional analysis of dairy products from the traditional Roja Mallorquina sheep breed. Samples of bulk raw milk were taken twice a month from December 2015 to March 2016 from sheep fed using a part-time grazing system, and fresh soft (FC, n = 8) and ripened (RC, n = 8) cheeses were made. The variability in vitamins, total phenolic compounds (TPC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and fatty acid (FA) content was influenced by the cheese-making process (differences between the cheese and the original milk) and by the type of cheese-making technology (mainly related to heating, the use of starter culture, and ripening). The most notable physicochemical characteristic of the cheeses was low fat content (24.1 and 29.6 g/100 g for FC and RC). Milk and RC were characterised by major concentrations of retinol (211.4 and 233.6 µg/100 g dry matter (DM), respectively) and TPC (18.7 and 54.6 µg/100 g DM, respectively), while FC was characterised by major concentrations of retinol (376.4 µg) and α-tocopherol (361.7 µg). The fat-soluble components of the FC generally exhibited better nutritional value for human health than those of the milk and RC, with a higher level of retinol and α-tocopherol; lower values for saturated FA, atherogenic, and thrombogenic indices; and higher levels of monounsaturated FA, polyunsaturated FA, n-3, and n-6. Acids, alcohols, and ketones comprised almost 95% of the volatile compounds detected. Acetoin and products of lactose and citrate metabolism played an important role in the development of the aromatic attributes of both kinds of cheese. This preliminary study can contribute to add value to these traditional products according to healthy nutritional criteria and supports the implementation of strategies to promote their commercialisation and obtain product labelling as "pasture-fed" or specific marks.

Effect of Two Organic Production Strategies and Ageing Time on Textural Characteristics of Beef from the Retinta Breed.

The primary aim of this paper is to determine the influence of two organic production systems, organic grass-fed (OG) and organic concentrate-fed (OC), vs. a conventional concentrate-fed (CC) system; the second aim is to determine the influence of the ageing period on the physical parameters and texture properties of beef from the Retinta breed. Muscle samples from Longissimus thoracis were stored at 2-4 ± 1 °C for 0, 7, 14, and 21 days for the purposes of ageing. Analyses of pH, water losses (drip loss and cooking loss), Warner-Bratzler shear force, texture profile analysis (TPA), and histological analysis of muscle fibre were carried out. The results revealed that organic meat experienced lower drip loss and higher cooking loss than conventional meat. Although the meat of organic grass-fed animals was tougher initially, it showed a higher tenderisation speed in the first ageing days than OC and CC meats. The sarcomere length increased during the ageing period, which showed a negative correlation to shear force. According to its texture characteristics, the Retinta meat produced in organic systems could be recommended by its quality.

The Use of Concentrates Rich in Orange By-Products in Goat Feed and Its Effects on Physico-Chemical, Textural, Fatty Acids, Volatile Compounds and Sensory Characteristics of the Meat of Suckling Kids.

We analysed how replacing cereal concentrates with dehydrated orange pulp (DOP) in the diet of mother goats affects the meat quality of suckling kids. Three experimental diets for mother goats were designed. The DOP-0 diet contained commercial concentrates and alfalfa hay. In the DOP-40 and DOP-80 diets, 40% and 80% (respectively) of the cereal in the concentrate was replaced with pellets of DOP (the alfalfa hay component was unchanged). We evaluated the chemical composition, texture, water holding capacity, colour, fatty acids (FAs) profile, volatile compounds, and sensorial appraisal of the meat from 30 male suckling kids (cold carcass weight 4.74 kg, 4.82 kg, and 4.65 kg for DOP-0, DOP-40, and DOP-80, respectively) of the Payoya breed (n = 10 for each diet). Meat from kids in the DOP-40 and DOP-80 groups exhibited characteristics favourable for human health, including the meat's thrombogenicity index, PUFA/SFA ratio (0.60 index), and n-6 PUFA/n-3 PUFA ratio (approximately 7.50). The meat also exhibited reduced MUFA content (around 460 mg/100 g fresh meat). An increase in ethyl furan, dimethyl disulphide and heptane was observed in grilled meat from goats that were fed using DOP. The inclusion of DOP in goat feed improved consumers' sensory appreciation of the kid's meat.

Stability of fatty acid composition of intramuscular fat from pasture- and grain-fed young bulls during the first 7 d postmortem.

In order to study the effect of different amounts of concentrate feed and the effectiveness of natural antioxidants on the fatty acid stability of intramuscular fat during the first days postmortem, 75 young bulls of the Retinta breed were divided in three groups: 30 were grazed, 30 were fed on medium concentrate diets, and 15 were fed on high-concentrate diets. Young bulls were slaughtered at commercial weight, around a 500 kg final body weight. Samples from Longissimus lumborum muscle were assigned to two ageing periods (0 and 7 d) and were vacuum packaged in vacuum bags ( O 2 permeability: 9.3  mL   O 2 / m 2 per 24  h at 0  ∘ C ) using an EGARVAC ® sealer. Beef from grass-fed bulls showed a higher polyunsaturated fatty acid content than concentrate-fed bulls. During the first 7 d postmortem, no changes in the fatty acids profile were observed, because α -tocopherol content was optimal to prevent lipid oxidation. The higher level of natural antioxidants in grass than in grain resulted in the stability of the fatty acid profile. This study shows that the anti-oxidative potential of natural antioxidants in meat plays an important role during the first 7 d postmortem.

Feasibility of use of fatty acid and triacylglycerol profiles for the authentication of commercial labelling in Iberian dry-cured sausages.

In the present study, fatty acid and triacylglycerol profiles were used to evaluate the possibility of authenticating Iberian dry-cured sausages according to their label specifications. 42 Commercial brand 'chorizo' and 39 commercial brand 'salchichón' sausages from Iberian pigs were purchased. 36 Samples were labelled Bellota and 45 bore the generic Ibérico label. In the market, Bellota is considered to be a better class than the generic Ibérico since products with the Bellota label are manufactured with high quality fat obtained from extensively reared pigs fed on acorns and pasture. Analyses of fatty acids and triacylglycerols were carried out by gas chromatography and a flame ion detector. A CP-SIL 88 column (highly substituted cyanopropyl phase; 50 m × 0.25 mm i.d., 0.2 µm film thickness) (Varian, Palo Alto, USA) was used for fatty acid analysis and a fused silica capillary DB-17HT column (50% phenyl-50% methylpolysiloxane; 30 m × 0.25 mm i.d., 0.15 µm film thickness) was used for triacylglycerols. Twelve fatty acids and 16 triacylglycerols were identified. Various discriminant models (linear quadratic discriminant analyses, logistic regression and support vector machines) were trained to predict the sample class (Bellota or Ibérico). These models included fatty acids and triacylglycerols separately and combined fatty acid and triacylglycerol profiles. The number of correctly classified samples according to discriminant analyses can be considered low (lower than 65%). The greatest discriminant rate was obtained when triacylglycerol profiles were included in the model, whilst using a combination of fatty acid and triacylglycerol profiles did not improve the rate of correct assignation. The values that represent the reliability of prediction of the samples according to the label specification were higher for the Ibérico class than for the Bellota class. In fact, quadratic and Support Vector Machine discriminate analyses were not able to assign the Bellota class (0%) when combined fatty acids and triacylglycerols were included in the model. The use of fatty acid and triacylglycerol profiles to discriminate Iberian dry-cured sausages in the market according to their labelling information is unclear. In order to ensure the genuineness of Iberian dry-cured sausages in the market, identification of fatty acid and triacylglycerol profiles should be combined with the application of quality standard traceability techniques.