Nutritional quality of wild Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) meat: Effects of sex and hunting period

Quality and Oral Processing Characteristics of Traditional Serbian Ćevap Influenced by Game Meat

This study analyzes the influence of two different types of game meat (deer and wild boar) in relation to quality characteristics and oral processing attributes of skinless sausage. The goal of this study was to compare grilled game-meat-based "ćevap" with conventional pork-meat-based samples. Research comprised of color analysis, evaluation of textural components, testing degree of difference, temporal dominance of sensations, calculation of main oral processing attributes, and examination of particle size distribution. The results show that oral processing attributes are similar in between samples and concur with results of the pork-based sample. This confirms the working hypothesis that it is possible to make game-meat-based "ćevap" fully comparable with conventional pork meat products. In parallel, color and flavor characteristics are influenced by the type of game meat in the sample. Most of the dominant sensory attributes that occurred during mastication were game meat flavor and juiciness.

Impact of broad-spectrum pesticides used in the agricultural and forestry sector on the pesticide profile in wild boar, roe deer and deer and risk assessment for venison consumers

The present work is the first extensive study of large-scale pesticides research in wild animals. The investigation covered three game species: wild boar (n = 42), roe deer (n = 79) and deer (n = 15) collected from north-eastern Poland. To characterize the 480 pesticides in muscle samples, LC-GC-MS/MS techniques were used. A total of 28 compounds were detected: 5 neonicotinoids, 6 organochlorine and 5 other insecticides, 9 fungicides and 4 herbicides, in the range of 0.1-85.3 ng g^-1. Over four hundred detections were done. The highest mean concentrations were as follows: anthraquinone (85.3 ng g^-1) > DDT-p,p' (4.6 ng g^-1) > imidacloprid (4.3 ng g^-1) > permethrin (3.6 ng g^-1) > thiacloprid (2.8 ng g^-1). DDT and metabolites were the most frequently detected, followed by acetamiprid, tebuconazole, clothianidin and imidacloprid. Overall, 92% samples with residues were recorded, including 100% of wild boar, 88% of roe deer and 86% of deer. More than one pesticide (up to 9) was found in over 73% of the tested samples. The estimated chronic and acute risk to consumers of venison were very low (below 1% ADI and ARfD). This interdisciplinary study may be helpful for estimating ecological risk to wild animals and risk to consumers of wild animal products, and also as a source of biomonitoring data.

Perception of the Health Threats Related to the Consumption of Wild Animal Meat-Is Eating Game Risky?

Consumer interest in game meat has increased in recent years. Consumers appreciate its nutritional value but still have many concerns. Based on data from a quantitative study conducted in the group of 450 purposively selected Polish respondents declaring to consume the game meat, consumers were segmented concerning the perception of health risks associated with its consumption. Three separate clusters were identified using hierarchical cluster analysis: Indifferent (42%), Fearful (30%), and Selective (28%). The clusters differed significantly in the perception of the role of game in their lives and taking actions to mitigate the health risks associated with its consumption. In addition, their socioeconomic profiles were significantly different. The Indifferent segment-significantly more often than the other segments-believes that game has a positive impact on health, and the way to counteract the health risks is to not eat raw meat. The Selective segment attaches great importance to the choice of consumption place as a warranty of access to safe meat. The Fearful segment is willing to pay more for good quality meat and search for information. The results proved that the game consumers are not a homogenous group. Recognizing the differences can indicate a path for the traders to efficiently meet the consumers' expectations and needs.

Effect of NaCl Partial Replacement by Chloride Salts on Physicochemical Characteristics, Volatile Compounds and Sensorial Properties of Dry-Cured Deer Cecina

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of NaCl replacement in the physicochemical quality and volatile and sensorial profile of dry-cured deer cecina. Two salt mixtures were used as NaCl substitute: mixture I (30% NaCl-70% KCl) and mixture II (30% NaCl-50% KCl-15% CaCl₂-5% MgCl₂). Regarding the physicochemical parameters, only ash content, pH and L* values were affected by NaCl replacement. However, lipid oxidation was affected by NaCl replacement. The greatest thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values were observed in the control batch (3.28 mg MDA/kg). The partial replacement of NaCl by salt mixtures affected (p < 0.001) Ca, K, Mg, and Na content. The total amounts of free fatty acids and free amino acids were not affected (p > 0.05) by NaCl replacement. Concerning the volatile compounds, control samples presented the highest concentrations of furans (p < 0.01), while samples produced with mixture II had the lowest (p < 0.001) amounts of esters and acids. Our results indicated that all sensory attributes of the attribute map were affected (generalized procrustes analysis (GPA) explained 100% of the total variability among treatments). Considering the results obtained from the sensorial analysis, only mixture II reduced the overall acceptance and preference of consumers. Control attained significantly (p < 0.05) greater scores of acceptance and preference than mixture II despite the higher TBARS content.

Effect of Wine Lees as Alternative Antioxidants on Physicochemical and Sensorial Composition of Deer Burgers Stored during Chilled Storage

Wine lees from two grape varieties (Vitis vinifera L. Cv. “verdejo” and “palomino”) were studied as natural preservatives in deer burgers compared with the traditional additive sodium ascorbate. Burgers packed in modified atmosphere packaging and stored in refrigeration were analyzed at 0, 4, 8, and 12 days. The addition of lees (2.5% and 5%) produced a reduction of pH and variations in color (L* and a*), higher antioxidant capacity and phenolic content, lower lipid and protein oxidation, and the inhibition of psychotrophic aerobic bacteria and enterobacteria during the storage time. Likewise, burgers with lees kept the aldehydes concentration (volatile compounds indicators of lipid oxidation) over storage time, while esters, acids, and other compounds, previously present in lees, increased. These changes provided new odor and taste attributes like wine, bakery, and raisin notes. Therefore, the addition of wine lees had an antioxidant and antimicrobial effect and produced new sensory attributes in deer burgers.