Profile of Back Bacon Produced From the Common Warthog

Abstract

The common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) has historically been hunted and consumed by rural communities throughout its distribution range in Africa. This study aims to develop a processed product from warthog meat in the form of back bacon (Longissimus thoracis et lumborum) as a healthy alternative meat product and to determine its chemical and sensory characteristics derived from adult and juvenile boars and sows. The highest scored attributes included typical bacon and smoky aroma and flavor, and salty flavor, as well as tenderness and juiciness. Neither sex nor age influenced the bacon’s chemical composition; the bacon was high in protein (~29%) and low in total fat (<2%). Palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0), linoleic (C18:2ω6), oleic (C18:1ω9c), and arachidonic (C20:4ω6) were the dominant fatty acids. There was an interaction between sex and age for the PUFA:SFA ratio (p = 0.01). The differences between sex and age class are considered negligible regarding the overall profile and healthiness of the bacon.

Editorial for the Special Issue: Game Meat and Game Meat Products: Safety, Quality and Consumer Perception

“…Game meat could also be considered for meat preparation and products, in which the peculiar quality traits of the meat could be preserved [ 10 ] or even enhanced with a specific ingredient. Taking into consideration that the higher amount of polyunsaturated fatty acid in this meat could negatively affect the oxidative stability of the products, the addition of other fat sources, such as sheep fat in Zebra ( Equus burchelli ) Droëwors [ 11 ] or vegetable oils in deer burger [ 12 ], should be considered.…”