Goat meat quality. Effects of salting, air-drying and ageing processes

The effects of ageing, salting, and air-drying processes in color and water activity were studied in the subscapular and semimembranosus muscles. Also, characteristics as pH, color, water activity, water-holding capacity, texture and determination of the heminic pigments were assessed on raw meat of longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle. Animals were slaughtered at the Braganc¸ a slaughterhouse. Carcasses weighing between 16.6 kg and 24.4 kg were cooled at 4 ◦C during 72 h and 120 h, corresponding to ageing 1 and ageing 2 treatments, respectively. Carcasses were then deboned, divided into quarters and submitted to a salting process for 60 h and drought for 48 h. The process of salting had a great influence in all color parameters (L*, a*, b*, H* and C*). During salting process the values of Hue (H*) became higher while Chroma (C*) lower, making the meat darker. The b* index showed changes according salting process, as it was higher for ageing 1. Water activity (aw) decreased with salting and air-drying processes, important for the product preservation. The texture was the most influenced parameter by ageing process. The longer period of ageing makes the meat tender and reduces the toughness.