| Meat is one of the basic protein sources rich in essential amino acids used in human nutrition. In addition to essential amino acids, it also contains minerals, vitamins and fatty acids in its structure. A large portion of the meat needed worldwide is obtained from ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. Meat quality characteristics can be examined in two categories as internal and external quality factors. Internal factors refer to physiological characteristics such as the appearance quality characteristics of meat (colour, texture, amount of intramuscular fat, fat colour, drip and clearance loss, etc.) and eating quality characteristics (softness, flavour, juiciness) that vary according to factors such as the type, breed and gender of the animal. External factors refer to the safety quality characteristics of meat products (microorganism load, physical and chemical residues, food additives). Many properties used as quality criteria in meats, such as chemical composition, pH, color, water holding capacity, softness, hardness, crispness, texture, flavor, spoilage and contamination, can be defined instrumentally. These features are considered as criteria for meeting consumers' expectations of quality meat. Consumers consider meats with high marbling rate, bright red color, moderate visible fat content and fresh meat odor as quality meat. On the other hand, meats that have lost their original meat color specific to the species they belong to, have relatively low marbling rate, excessive visual fat content and abnormal meat odor are considered as low quality meats. In this article, genetic factors affecting the quality of red meat obtained from ruminant animals … |
Yasin Uyanık
Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Hayrettin ÇAYIROĞLU
