Carcass characteristics and meat quality of male and female foals

M V Sarriés; M J Beriain

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2004.12.006

Carcass characteristics and meat quality of male and female foals

Meat Sci. 2005 May;70(1):141-52. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2004.12.006.

Authors

M V Sarriés¹, M J Beriain

Affiliation

¹ Departamento de Ciencias del Medio Natural, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Campus de Arrosadía, 31006 Pamplona, Spain.

PMID: 22063290
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2004.12.006

Abstract

This research was conducted to characterize the carcass traits and meat quality of 16-month and 24-month old foals (33 males and 23 females) reared in two different livestock production systems. The carcass parameters assessed were conformation, degree of fatness, morphology, weight and carcass meat colour. The physicochemical characteristics and sensory profile of the M. longissimus dorsi (LD) were determined at 4 days of ageing. The carcass parameters and meat quality traits differed little between colts and fillies. There were significant differences between production systems. Carcasses were characterized by B conformation, 3 of fatness and high dressing percentages (>63%). Foal meat had a high myoglobin content and there were differences between the production systems in the flavour, juiciness, flourness and greasiness of the LD.