The present study analyzed the influence of horse age, substances used for marinating, and frozen storage on the quality of horse meat. It was conducted on the samples of the longest thoracic muscle, obtained from 12 carcasses of horses (aged 4-7 and 8-12 years). Among the analyzed samples, a higher fat content (p < 0.05) was found in the meat obtained from the carcasses of older horses. The pH value of the meat samples was influenced by the treatment applied (p < 0.05). Of the substances used for marinating, malic acid caused a decrease in the pH of the meat obtained from young horses (p < 0.05). A similar effect was observed with the addition of phosphates to malic acid-marinated meat. On the other hand, the use of phosphates for marinating resulted in an increase in the pH of the meat obtained from older horses (p < 0.05). The substances used for marinating the horse meat did not significantly affect the reduction in cutting force values. Furthermore, the values of shear force, hardness, stiffness, gumminess, and chewiness of the meat increased with horse age (p < 0.05). An influence on the color parameters a* and b* of the meat was found for the interaction between age, storage period, and the type of treatment (p < 0.05). The use of lactic acid and malic acid for marinating the meat of young horses caused a decrease in the proportion of red color (4.67 and 3.43) and an increase in the proportion of yellow color (3.81 and 1.71), especially after 3 months of freezer storage. All the substances used for marinating (except for phosphates) were associated with higher (p < 0.05) thermal and forced drips of meat from the carcasses of both young and older horses during each storage period, in comparison to the control. The interaction between age and the type of treatment had an influence on the tenderness and juiciness of the horse meat (p < 0.05). In sensory evaluation, it was noted that the interaction between age and the treatment procedure influenced the tenderness and juiciness of the meat samples (p < 0.05). There is still a need for further research to increase knowledge regarding how to improve the quality of horse meat, and ultimately increase the demand from consumers and meat processing plants.
Keywords: frozen storage; horse meat; marinating; organic acids; phosphates.