The effect of age and ultimate pH value on selected quality traits of meat from wild boar

Abstract

The meat from hunted wild boar juveniles (N = 18) and yearlings (N = 17) was analysed to assess the influence of age and the ultimate pH value on selected quality traits. The analysed meat of 55.56% of the juveniles and 64.71% of the yearlings was characterised with normal pH. The pH had been measured 24 and 48 h post mortem. More cases of high ultimate pH (pHu > 5.8) and high maximal pH (about 6.2) have been noted in the meat of younger animals compared with older ones. We found no effect of pHu on the colour coordinates of analysed wild boar meat. A slight effect of age was observed for the lightness (L*) coordinate. The postmortem time was the most important factor influencing meat colour [L*, yellowness (b*), and hue angle]. A high pHu was related to lower drip loss (P = 0.001), lower percentage of free water (P = 0.036), lower cooking loss (P = 0.001), and lower plasticity (P = 0.042). The meat from juveniles showed higher plasticity than meat from yearlings. Summing up, both the pHu level and the age of wild boars may affect some qualitative patterns of meat, changing the technological usability of this raw animal product.

Effect of Age and Sex on the Quality of Offal and Meat of the Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)

“…A slight effect of age on L* of wild boar m. semimembranosus was also found in the study conducted by Stanisz et al [10]. The juveniles characterized with a brighter meat (L* ranging from 41.8 to 43.5) compared to yearlings (L* ranging from 38.7 to 40.3).…”

“…The pH value of meat of the wild boar varies considerably from 5.4 to 6.29 [6,10,27,28]. In the present study, the pH value of m. semimembranosus measured even >5.8 in the group of juvenile females, stipulating an intermediate DFD (dark, firm and exudative) [10]. If so, it should be accompanied by dark colour and low water holding capacity, and none of those observations were made.…”

“…While Kasprzyk et al [33] obtained the free water measurement in a range of 20.10-24.48% in the LTL, and 20.74-23.09% in the m. semimembranosus. The cooking loss values obtained in our study were optimal for the meat of the wild boar [6,10]. Borilova et al [27] in their study, give even higher cooking losses, measuring 36.74% in the meat from the shoulder and 37.08% in the meat from the leg.…”

“…Despite the mentioned problems, game meat has benefits over meat from domestic animals. The wild boar meat is known to be tasty and nutritionally valuable [9,10]. Moreover Poland is dealing with an overpopulation of the wild boar.…”

Technological and nutritional properties of meat from female wild boars (<i>Sus scrofa scrofa</i> L.) of different carcass weights

“…Color parameters were measured on a freshly cut surface of each sample wrapped in transparent 23 µm foil following the recommendations of the American Meat Science Association (2012). The myoglobin content of the meat was analyzed according to the Krzywicki (1982) method with the Tang et al (2004) modification. The test was based on the absorbance of the extract in a cold 40 mM phosphate extraction buffer.…”