Sensory and microbiological characteristics of buffalo heifer meat subjected to different aging times
The female slaughter represented approximately 50% of the total cattle slaughter, including slaughter of buffaloes, in Brazil. However, the advanced age of females of discard is responsible for lower meat quality of this category. Particularly, characteristics as tenderness is most affected. Thus, t...
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| Published in: | CES medicina veterinaria y zootecnia Vol. 11; no. 3; p. 139 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Spanish |
| Published: |
Universidad del CES
01-09-2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | The female slaughter represented approximately 50% of the total cattle slaughter, including slaughter of buffaloes, in Brazil. However, the advanced age of females of discard is responsible for lower meat quality of this category. Particularly, characteristics as tenderness is most affected. Thus, technologies such as aging are very important, especially for buffalo specie which is presented as more an alternative of meat of high quality. The present study evaluated the effects of different aging times on the sensory and microbiological characteristics of buffalo heifer meat. Ten water buffalo heifers of the Murrah breed, at 32-36 months old, were slaughtered and samples of the Longissimus thoracis were collected. Samples were aged for 0, 7, 14, and 21 days, and analyzed for sensory and microbiological characteristics. Orthogonal polynomial contrast statements were used to test the effects of different aging times. For sensory analysis, was used the Student t test (normal distribution) and Mann-Whitney test (without normal distribution), considered significant when P < 0.05. No effect (P > 0.05) of aging was detected for the sensory parameters of aroma, strange aroma, flavor, strange flavor, and juiciness. Only the average values of tenderness were different (P < 0.01), wherein the aged samples (day 21) were considered "soft", whereas the non-aged (day 0) meat was "moderately dry". No relationship (P > 0.05) between aging time and the total bacteria counts was detected. However, the psychrotrophic bacteria and enterobacteriaceae increased linearly with aging (P < 0.01). Despite this microbiological growth in aged meat, bacterial counts were within the limits deemed appropriate for consumption at all aging times. In conclusion, aging improves the tenderness of the meat of water buffalo heifers without changing the microbiological quality of the product. |
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| ISSN: | 1900-9607 1900-9607 |