MEAT PERFORMANCE, CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND SENSORY EVALUATION OF MYOCASTOR COYPUS MEAT

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the main slaughter characteristics, chemical composition and sensory properties of meat obtained from 9-month-old male nutria (Myocastor coypus). The animals were killed at the farm, deboned, gutted and frozen. Meat samples were taken from the back, thigh and shoulder. Carcass yield, as well as water content, total protein and crude fat were determined in the laboratory. The energy content was calculated based on the conversion coefficients for protein and fat. The sensory evaluation was performed with a 5-point system for each monitored feature. Average of carcass yield without head was 54.73%. The average of water content varied from 72.80 (shoulder) to 73.68 g.100 g^-1 (back), total protein oscillated from 20.78 (shoulder) to 21.65 g.100 g^-1 (back), crude fat ranged from 3.65 (back) to 6.10 g.100 g^-1 (shoulder). The average energy value was observed to range from 500.17 (back) to 577.91 kJ.100 g^-1 (shoulder). The sensory evaluation of the observed meat from the carcass parts was high (4.14 - 4.21 points).