In recent years a growing demand for ratite meat, including ostrich, emu, and rhea has been observed all over the world. However, consumers as well as the meat industry still have limited and scattered knowledge about this type of meat, especially in the case of emu and rhea. Thus, the aim of the present review is to provide information on technological and nutritional properties of ostrich, emu, and rhea meat, including carcass composition and yields, physicochemical characteristics, and nutritive value. Carcass yields and composition among ratites are comparable, with the exception of higher content of fat in emu. Ostrich, emu, and rhea meat is darker than beef and ratite meat acidification is closer to beef than to poultry. Ratite meat can be recognised as a dietetic product mainly because of its low level of fat, high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), favourable n6/n3 ratio, and high iron content in comparison with beef and chicken meat. Ratite meat is also rich in selenium, copper, vitamin B, and biologically active peptides such as creatine (emu) and anserine (ostrich), and has low content of sodium (ostrich). The abundance of bioactive compounds e.g. PUFA, makes ratite meat highly susceptible to oxidation and requires research concerning elaboration of innovative, intelligent packaging system for protection of nutritional and technological properties of this meat.

We analyzed the conentes of 12 types of minerals such as calcium in muscle from various species. Thereafter we ovserved changes of the concetrations according to age, part and sex in major domestic animals. The concentraions of calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc were high respectively whilst the content of cobalt, chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel were low respectively in the muscle. The concentration of calcium was high in duck and dog but low in pig and horse. Also high level of sodium content was detected in dog and the content of potassium, iron showed high level in horse compared with the content in other animals. In 6 types of microminerals as cobalt, the level of muscle wer no more than 1 ppm showing very low content in all animal, but 2.99+_0.85ppm of copper in duck was an exceptional case. According to the age some species showed small range of variation centering on macrominerals and there was no remarkable change in microminerals. Distribution of minerals was different according to the part and the variation was very diverse compared with other factors such as age and sex. Additionally, the content of mnerals in muscle was higher in female than in male chicken and duck. In conclusion, the difference of the content of minerals according to the species was mainly focused on macrominerals.

The fatty acid composition of muscle were investigated to compare muscle composition among the 9 domestic animals including cattle. In major domestic animals, analyzed the effects of age, part and sex of the animal on their fatty acid composition. The content of 4 types of major fatty acids of muscle was determined and calculated their ratio. Myristic acid and palmitic acid levels were high in chicken and sheep. Besides dog muscle contained a lot of stearic acid. Linoleic acid content showed evident difference in the content depending on the animal species. The ratios of linoleic acid/palmitic acid (L/P ratio) and linoleic acid/stearic acid(L/S ratio) were characteristically high in horse and pig, whereas the ratio of palmitic acid/stearic acid(P/S ratio) was 0.7+_0.17, showing very low level in dog. As for the content of steric acid, in cattle and chicken it was higher in young animal than adults. In duck, the contents of all fatty acids and ratio were increased by the age. As for the content of fatty acids according to the part of chicken, high level was shown in thigh than in breast and wing, while there was no remarkable variation by the part in other animal. The differences in the content of myristic acid, palmitic acid and linoleic acid among some animal could be verified in muscle lipid composition. The L/P ratio which maintained certain level regardless of age, part, sex shown distinctive pattern between the species.

The contents of histidine dipeptides, a metabolic products of muscle protein, were investigated to compare muscle composition among the 9 domestic animals including cattle. In major domestic animal, analyzed the effects of age, part and sex of the animals on their muscle composition. Large amounts of carnosine(68.63+_17.41 micro mol/g) were detected in cattle and it was higher than other animals. Wheres the content of anserine showed high level in order of turkey, chickens and duck. The ratio of carnosine and anserine(C/A ratio) was different depending on the animal species. Statistical data indicated that difference among species was significant(p0.05). The contents of histidine dipeptides in hearted muscle by boiling for 40 minutes at 110 degrees centigrade was similar to those of raw muscle. C/A ration in heated muscle was not different from that of raw muscle, indicating that no change has been made after heating process. The contents of camosine and anserine were different according to the parts of their muscle. Especially chuck of the mammalian showed extremely low level of histidine dipeptides compared with other parts, while C/A ratio maintained certain level regardless of age, part, sex. Therefore, based on the content of histidine depeptides, could be found the difference of muscle composition among the species. Also C/A ratio of horse, pig, cattle, duck, sheep nd turkey were characteristic respectively.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there was studied the possibility of increasing of meat yield productivity of ducklings of Temp cross in the conditions application of parental lines of Peking ducks of German breeding Stolle Seddin Vital (SVV) cross. In course of the study there was realized a comparative evaluation of linear and crossbred ducklings in accordance with meat qualities and blood indexes. There were presented the results of morphological composition of liner and crossbred duck carcasses; dynamics of changes of lipid exchange (total lipids; cholesterine; triglyceride) of ducklings; morphological composition of carcasses of father and mother combinations; blood indexes of ducklings; blood indexes of crossbred ducklings of final combinations. Research results showed that crossbred ducklings had high meat properties which exceeded the purebred ones. In ducklings with lower indexes of fattiness of carcasses there was noted the lowering of concentration of total lipids, cholesterine and triglyceride in blood.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there were analyzed high productive traits of meaty calves and cross breeds bred in accordance with a system cow-calf, as well as the possibilities of using veal meat obtained in ecologically safe areas for infant food production. At the age of 6,5-7 months the weight of fresh carcass of bull-calves of sharolez breed in comparison with aberdin-angus х black-motley herdmates was on 41,6 kg (Р less than 0,001) higher, carcass yield and slaughter yield – on 13,8% (Р less than 0,001) and 13,6% (Р less than 0,001), respectively. The fat content in sharolez meat was 4,9% against 8,9%; protein - 21,9% against 18,8%. The black-motley suckling bull-calves surpassed their herdmates which were grown up by technology of dairy cattle breeding at the age of 6-6,5 months according to indexes of weight of fresh carcass - on 16,3 kg or 21,7% (Р less than 0,01); according to indexes in a slaughter yield - on 16,6% (Р less than 0,001); and according to indexes meat flesh in a carcass - on 1,5%. According to quality indexes, amino acid structure, acceptable concentration of toxic elements content, pesticides, antibiotics, radionuclides and other harmful substances the veal meat of calves which were bred on a system a cow-calve in ecologically pure zones proved to be important meat raw materials to produce infant food products.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there was realized a comparative study of meat productivity of mongrel Gereford х black-and-white heifers ad purebred black-and-white heifers in the conditions of different levels of concentrated feedstuff in cattle diets; and determine the most efficient and long-term method of animal breeding for meat. Research results showed that breeding of meaty of hybrids of Gereford х black-and-white heifers of the second generation without using the feeding concentrates in their diets or on using rations with a low rate of feeding concentrates (10-20%) proved to be more effective, than breeding of purebred black-and-white herdmates (for which specific density of the concentrated forages in diets made up 20% through pregnancy). Hybrids on Gereford breed in accordance with meat productivity level surpassed the purebred black-and-white animals. The most considerable results were marked at hybrid heifers with relative density of concentrates in a ration of 20% which in accordance with slaughter weight indexes surpassed the herdmates of black-and-white breed on 39,1 kg or on 23,68%, in accordance with slaughter yield - on 8,2%, in accordance with fresh carcass weight - on 37,9 kg or on 23,8%, in accordance with weight of inner porc - on 1,19 kg or on 20,62%.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there were determined the fattening and slaughter qualities of swine as well as the evaluation of their pork production in the conditions of inclusion into their diets of a biologically active substance on the basis of field caraway (Carum carvi L.). Research results showed that in the production conditions the administration of the biologically active additive in a dose of 7 gram per 100 kilogram of live weight of pigs made it possible to increase their daily average gain from 627,9 grams in a control group up to 687,2 grams (or on 9,44% (P less than 0,999)), to increase their preslaughter and slaughter weight respectively on 3,76% and 6,42%, dressing percentage and carcass yield – respectively on 1,71 and 1,67%. According to the indexes of meat quantity in diverting weirs of the experimental pigs surpassed the control group on 3,03%, or 2,70 kg. The fat content in the half carcasses of the experimental group was authentically lower than the indices of control animals on 0,48 kg or on 2,18%. The hock weight of experimental animals with high confidence exceeded pigs of the control group on 1,15 kg, or on 10,45%. They practically did not differ from the control group according the indexes of thickness of pork fat at the level of 6-7 chest vertebras, and in the area of a muscular eye surpassed them on 4,0 square сm or on 7,72%.

Possibility of increasing of meat productivity of ducklings of Temp cross after application of duck parental forms of German selection was studied in the conditions of the Republic of Belarus. In course of study there was revealed the dynamics of changes of live weight and feed expenses for live weight gain of linear and hybrid ducklings; as well as their meat qualities were determined. In course of studied there were used linear and hybrid ducklings obtained after crossbreeding of parental forms of Belarusian and German crosses of Peking breeds. There were formed 8 groups of one-day old ducklings. In the father's line the first (control) group was presented by pure bred line T1 of Temp cross; in the second group – by hybrid NT1 x T1, obtained after the direct crossing of male ducks of NT1 with female ducks of T1 lines; in the third group – by hybrid T1 x NT1, obtained after the backcrossing of male ducks of T1 with female ducks of NT1 lines; in the fourth group the combination NT1 was obtained by NT1 x NT1. In fifth group the maternal line was presented by pure line of T2 Temp cross (control); the sixth group was presented by hybrid T2N x T2 obtained after direct crossing of male ducks of T2N line with maternal ducks of T2 line; in the eighth group the combination T2N was obtained by T2N x T2N. Research results showed that application of Germal ducks in schemes of crossbreeding rendered the positive influence on live weight increasing of ducklings of father's line. In the carcasses of hybrid ducklings of all studied crossbreeds there was stated the decreasing number of skin with adipose layer and increasing number muscles including the pectoralis

In animal feeding technology much attention is given to application of biologically active substances for metabolism stimulation. One of such biologically active substances is carnitine, an anabolic preparation of nonhormonal nature, cofactor in system of oxidation of fat acids. It participates in processes of acetylation at oxidation of fat acids together with acyl-CoA and other enzymes, promotes carrying over of cytoplasmatic Coa-derivatives of fat acids inside mitochondrions. It increases absorption speed from a digestive path of nutrients of forage, raises use of fat acids for the power purposes. Under its influence synthesis of triglycerides decreases and synthesis of phospho-lipids increases. Carnitine also protects cells against toxic accumulation of components of acyl-CoA of endogenic or exogenous origins, such as acylic groups of carnitine ethers which then can pass into liver for dissimilation or in kidneys for allocation in urine. Carnitine synthesis satisfies body requirements, but in the conditions of a hightened stress, high productivity, as well as in the conditions of lowered carnitine content in forage or in the conditions of the increased content of fats it should be applied as additive to diet. As a result of the realized study it was established, that the optimal quantity of carnitine application in diets for stores husbandry and fattening is dose of 50 g/t of mixed fodders. Application of carnitine in an optimum dose renders the positive impact on animal organism, promotes the increasing average daily weight gain on 5,1% (Р less than 0,001). Application of carnitine in diets of swine stores increases a slaughter yield on 2,1%, meat content per carcass - on 2,3%, a loin eye area - on 8,8%. Carnitine application in a dose 50 g/t of mixed fodders makes it possible to receive the additional profit at a rate of 4,57 USD per 1 head