Effects of dry and wet ageing on culled goat meat quality

This study aims to evaluate the effects of ageing time (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks) and of two different ageing techniques (dry and wet ageing) on the rheological, colorimetric, oxidative, volatile, and sensory attributes of meat (hind limbs) sourced from culled Rossa Mediterranea breed goats. Twenty-four goats were involved in the trial. The hind limbs were divided in the two experimental groups: the right ones were subjected to dry ageing and the left ones to wet ageing. Dry-aged (DA) meat showed higher water-holding capacity (WHC) and lower cooking loss (CL) after ageing compared to wet aged (WA) meat (p < 0.05). Among the colorimetric parameters, only lightness showed to be affected by ageing time, decreasing at week 4 (p < 0.05), with lower values in DA then WA (p < 0.05). Warner Bratzler shear force (WBSF) decreased at week 1 of DA and at week 2 of WA (p < 0.05), with no further changes probably due to the water loss during ageing. Hexanal was the most produced volatile compound, with higher amount in DA meat from 1 to 3 weeks of ageing (p < 0.01) The first two weeks of dry ageing led to an enhancement in sensory and instrumental tenderness, along with an improvement in flavour, characterised by a heightened release of aldehydes and ketones. However, it is noteworthy that beyond this initial phase, dry ageing has led to a substantial decline in the overall quality.