Qualitative attributes of meat from Teramana goat kids, an Italian native breed of the Abruzzo region

Objective The aim of this work was the characterization of the qualitative aspects of meat obtained from Teramana goats, an Italian indigenous breed of the Abruzzo region. Specifically, the study included a comparison with meat samples deriving from Saanen goat kids reared in the same environment and applying the same feeding protocol. Methods Upon reaching about 7 months of age the animals were slaughtered and samples of muscle tissue were collected to be analyzed. Specifically, meat samples were subjected to evaluations of the physical parameters, including color and the meat ability to retain water, in addition to chemical evaluations that were focused to the determination of the total lipids amount, fatty acids composition, lipid oxidation, and volatile profile. Results The meat samples obtained from the indigenous breed showed a less intense reddish color and no significant variations for the muscle tissue tendency to retain water, both regarding fresh and cooked meat. Several differences were instead observed in the fatty acid profile. The Teramana samples were richer in saturated fatty acids (p<0.01) and interestingly showed higher concentrations of rumenic acid (p<0.05), a conjugate of linoleic acid that has been associated with important health benefits for the consumers. Another important finding for these meat samples was the marked resistance to oxidative events, as evidenced by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances-test (p<0.05) and by the characterization of the volatile profile that highlighted a strong reduction in the relative percentage of hexanal (p<0.05), commonly associated to lipid oxidation and the development of unpleasant aromatic notes. Conclusion The collected data, therefore appeared useful for the valorization of the food product derived from the Teramana goat, although no sensory information has been collected to define the degree of acceptability by the consumers.