Color changes reflecting myoglobin and lipid oxidation in chevon cuts during refrigerated display

The oxidative stability of different chevon (goat meat) cuts (leg, shoulder/arm, and loin/rib) when displayed (2 degreesC) as case-ready packages was studied. Some 8-month-old Spanish does (n = 12 animals) were slaughtered and the carcasses chilled for 24 It at 4 degreesC. Carcasses were then fabricated and the primal cuts were trimmed and sliced into 2.5 cm thick steaks/chops using a band saw. The cuts were placed on styrofoam trays and wrapped with polyvinyl-chloride film. These case-ready leg and shoulder steaks and loin/rib chops were stored in a display case at 2 degreesC for either 0, 4, 8, or 12 days. Percent metmyoglobin (MetMb%.) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) increased (P < 0.01) with increasing storage time in all cuts but the pattern of increase was not different among the different cuts. MetMb formation reached the maximum level within 4-8 days, and thereafter, the increase was not significant. Based on instrumental color measurements (CIE L(*)a(*)b(*)), the shoulder/arm cuts appeared redder and had the highest average a(*) (redness, P < 0.05) value. The shoulder/arm cuts also had the highest chroma (color saturation) values (P < 0.05) and the lowest hue values (P < 0.01), calculated using a(*) and b(*) values. The ultimate pH in the shoulder muscle was also the highest (P < 0.01). Color values a* (P < 0.01) and chroma (P < 0.05) decreased while the hue values increased with increasing display time in all types of cut. The color values indicated that maximum surface discoloration of chevon occurs within 4-8 days. Cooking loss was significantly influenced by type of cut (P < 0.01), with losses being high in leg, low in loin/rib, and intermediate in shoulder/arm. Cooking loss was also influenced by storage time (P < 0.05) and was higher on day 0 than other storage periods. The results indicate that the caselife of chevon cuts is comparable to those of beef, lamb, and pork cuts reported in the literature. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.