Breed effect on carcass and meat quality of foals slaughtered at 24 months of age

In some areas, horsemeat may be considered as an alternative to beef And recent studies have shown that it may be positive from a nutritional point of view. However, little research has been done on the effects that influence horse carcass traits and meat quality. Breed effect has been studied by comparing two Spanish local breeds (Burguete and Hispano-Breton) reared following the same traditional production system (24 months old). Some differences between breeds were observed for carcass quality measurements and colour parameters. Proximate composition was generally not affected by breed. Burguete foals had lower SFA and MUFA and higher PUFA than Hispano-Breton ones. PUFA/SFA ratio from both breeds was higher than 0.4 and CLA levels were similar to those found in ruminants. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.