The objective of this study was to determine the influence of hempseed meal (HSM) on goat meat characteristics. Goats (N = 10/treatment) were allocated to a diet concentration (0, 10, 20, or 30%) of HSM, fed for 60 days, and harvested. Carcass measurements were collected after chilling, and subsequently fabricated into wholesale subprimals. From the subprimals of the shoulder and leg, steaks were cut 2.54 cm thick, vacuum packaged, and assigned to laboratory methods: cook yield, instrumental color, lipid oxidation, microbial spoilage, and instrumental tenderness. HSM did not alter (p > 0.05) carcass characteristics, microbial spoilage, cook loss, or the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS). However, a decrease in objective tenderness measurements (p < 0.05) was observed with greater concentrations of HSM supplementation in the diet. Instrumental surface color values for lightness (L*) indicated that steaks became lighter and less red (a*) as storage time increased (p < 0.05). Results suggest that HSM and storage time do not alter some goat meat traits, but HSM or storage time separately may influence goat meat quality. HSM may be an effective feed ingredient that does not alter carcass quality or meat yield.
Keywords: color; hempseed meal; microbiology; storage life; tenderness; vacuum packaging.