Physical Changes during Post-Mortem Ageing of High-Value Impala (Aepyceros Melampus) Steaks

Overview of game meat utilisation challenges and opportunities: A European perspective

Re-wilding and similar initiatives have resulted in an increase in wildlife suitable for human consumption in Europe. However, game meat production and consumption present several challenges, including infectious diseases which pose risks to livestock, processers, and consumers. This review provides insights into the infectious diseases and toxic contaminants associated with game meat. The effect of killing method on the meat quality is also discussed and means of improving the meat quality of game meat is elucidated. The use of different food safety systems that could be applied to provide safe meat is reported. The importance of collaborative multi-sector approaches is emphasized, to generate and distribute knowledge and implement One Health strategies that ensure the safe, traceable, sustainable, and professional development of commercial game meat supply chains.

Physical properties during a 28-day ageing period of blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) Longissimus thoracis et lumborum and Biceps femoris muscles

The study aimed to determine the effect of sex, muscle-type, and ageing on the physical properties of blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and Biceps femoris (BF) muscles. Randomly assigned steak samples from twenty mature blesbok (10 of each sex) antelope were vacuum-packed and stored at 4.4 ± 1 °C for 2, 4, 7, 10, 17 and 28 ageing days. Cumulative purge loss, pH, colour (L*, a*, b), cooking loss, and Warner Braztler shear force were determined. Males had meat with higher (P = 0.032) pH values than females, while all other attributes were similar (P > 0.05). The LTL had greater (P < 0.05) purge losses, L* and a* values than the BF muscle, while other quality attributes were greater (P < 0.05) for the BF muscle. Despite fluctuations, there was an overall decrease in shear force with ageing time. According to all quality parameters measured, the optimum ageing period for blesbok would seem to be 10 days.

Physical meat quality characteristics of Angolan giraffe (Giraffa giraffa angolensis) as affected by sex and muscle

Giraffe numbers grow exponentially when farmed, necessitating periodic culling. This study quantified the effect of sex and muscle on the physical quality characteristics of eight giraffe muscles. The Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) was the only parameter to be affected by an interaction between sex and muscle (P < 0.001), although the interaction for the CIE L* values tended towards significance (P = 0.054). Cooking loss (male = 41.6 ± 0.35%; female = 40.7 ± 0.33%; P = 0.024) and CIE L* values (male = 38.8 ± 0.23; female = 37.3 ± 0.27; P = 0.039) were both affected by sex. Muscle had an effect on all physical parameters. The ultimate pH of all muscles was 5.5-5.9; the average WBSF of <43 N for all muscles indicates giraffe meat in this study is tender. This study shows that yield and physical characteristics of giraffe meat are favourable, and the results may be useful for the marketing of giraffe meat.

Sensory Characteristics of Male Impala (Aepyceros melampus) Meat, Produced under Varying Production Systems and Nutrition

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of three production systems (intensive, semi-extensive and extensive) with differing nutrition on the descriptive sensory and fatty acid profiles of sub-adult (±15-18 months old) male impala longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscles. The discriminant analysis plot showed that extensively produced impala had a sensory profile distinct from the intensive and semi-extensive system impala. Extensively produced impala had the highest sensory ratings for overall intensity, gamey, beef-like, herbaceous, and sweet-associated aroma and flavor of their meat. The intensive and semi-extensive system impala did not differ for most of the sensory attributes, except for higher ratings for gamey flavor, liver-like flavor, tenderness and mealiness, and lower ratings for residue found in semi-extensive system impala. The overall aroma and flavor intensities of impala meat in general had strong positive correlations with gamey, beef-like, herbaceous, and sweet-associated aromas and flavors; however, marketing should be adjusted depending on the nutrition received by the impala, to allow consumers to select their preferential sensory profile. Impala meat from all three production systems had low fat contents (<2%), and desirable fatty acid profiles.