Sensory meat quality, ultimate pH values, blood metabolites and carcass parametersin reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus L.) fed various diets

Abstract

This investigation was made to study and compare the effects of different diets on sensory meat quality and ultimate pH values in reindeer muscles and to relate stress-induced blood metabolites and carcass parameters to the meat quality traits measured. Altogether 23 female reindeer calves were included in the study. During an adaptation period, all reindeer were allowed free access to a mimicked natural diet containing 80% lichens (lichen diet). On January 28, 8 reindeer (group Cj an ) were slaughtered. Five reindeer (group C.Mar) were allowed continuous free access to the lichen diet throughout the experiment. During 8 days, the other reindeer (groups PL and PS) were given the lichen diet, half of the amount offered to the control group, and were then starved for one day. Thereafter, these reindeer were fed 80% commercial reindeer feed (pellets) and either 20% lichens (group PL), or 20% silage (group PS) for 5 weeks. After this, all animals were slaughtered. The average carcass weight and dressing percentage in the group fed commercial reindeer feed and lichens (PL) were higher than in group CMar-Fat registrations were generally higher in groups PL and PS than in the groups Cj2n and CMar-Ultimate pH values in M. triceps brachii and M. longissimus were significantly lower in the group CMST than in PL. The levels of all blood metabolites (urea, ASAT and Cortisol) were generally higher in groups PL and PS than in groups Cj a " and CMEF-NO significant differences were found in any of sensory attributes of the meat (monitored according to ISO standards). The present study shows that muscle and fat depots in reindeer can be improved by feeding a diet based on reindeer pellets but suggests that a feeding period of 35 days might be too short to affect the sensory properties of reindeer meat.

Fatty acid composition and sensory quality of Musculus longissimus and carcass parameters in red deer (Cervus elaphus) grazed on natural pasture or fed a commercial feed mixture

“…22,23 The nutritional status and physical condition of the reindeer also had a considerable effect on muscle glycogen content, 24 and the use of commercial feed mixtures has generally improved nutritional status and carcass weights. 13,25 Carcasses from feral, grass-fed and feedlot-raised red deer were analysed for differences in composition and the results indicated that variation in carcass fatness was mainly a function of carcass weight and not environment. The feral deer certainly had less fat than grass-fed or feedlot-raised deer, because the feral deer were much smaller at equal age.…”

“…35 After 6 weeks of feeding reindeer various diets, a trained panel could not find any differences in the flavour of the meat, and it was suggested that the feeding period might have been too short to give detectable changes in meat flavour. 13 Young et al 36 described the characteristic flavour in fat from pasture raised beef and sheep using words such as 'grassy', 'metallic' and 'rancid'. The authors referred to a combined effect of fatty acid profile and the levels of compounds like skatole, indole and 4-methylphenol as being responsible for the flavour differences in meat from pasture-and grain-fed animals.…”

“…The questionnaire was developed during training sessions with the panel and was formulated with particular reference to deer meat based on earlier studies on reindeer meat. 13 Both the panel training and the descriptive test were performed following the guidelines of the International Organization for Standardization. 14,15 The definitions of the profile attributes are set out in Table 1, and the panel scored the sensory attributes using a line scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (intense).…”

Colour stability and water-holding capacity of M. longissimus and carcass characteristics in fallow deer (Dama dama) grazed on natural pasture or fed barley

“…The nutritional status and physical condition of reindeer has been demonstrated to have a considerable effect on muscle glycogen content and meat ultimate pH values (Wiklund et al, 1996), and the use of commercial feed mixtures have generally improved nutritional status and carcass weights (Wiklund et al 2000;Nilsson et al, 1996). However, carcasses from feral, grass-fed or feedlot-raised red deer were analysed for differences in composition and the results indicated that variation in carcass fatness was mainly a function of carcass weight and not environment (Drew, 1992).…”

Quality indicators of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) venison from two different Czech regions

“…water binding capacity, keeping quality, tenderness, taste and colour is greatly influenced by meat pH (Pollard et al 2002). Studies by Wiklund et al (2000), Wiklund et al (2001) and Pollard et al (2002) showed that pH ult of game that was hunted in a proper manner avoiding stress, and whose carcass was properly dressed and processed, was within the range of 5.5-5.75. Winkelmayer et al (2004) reported pH in roe deer venison (m. longissimus) in dependence on the season of the year from 5.66 (spring) to 5.58 (autumn).…”