Aspects of the nutritional value of cooked Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) meat compared with other well-known fowl species

Abstract

There is no scientific research regarding Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) meat; therefore, a chemical analysis to establish the nutritional characteristics of the breast portion is described. Meat from guineafowl, Pekin duck, ostrich, and broiler chicken were used as a reference. The high intramuscular fat content of Egyptian goose meat (5.6 g/100 g) may be linked to the fact that this species relies on fat for heat insulation and buoyancy. Egyptian goose meat is very high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (39.7%). The polyunsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid ratio is within the recommendations (>0.4), although the n- 6/n-3 ratio is higher than the suggested value of 5. The high Fe content of 7.5 mg/100 g is the differentiating factor within the mineral compositions and is related to the physical activity endured by the breast muscle of Egyptian geese. This study provides new insight into the nutritional characteristics of a meat species providing crucial information that is, as of yet, not available in the literature. © 2013 Poultry Science Association Inc.