The effect of freezing storage on physical and chemical properties of wild boar meat

Abstract

The colour, chemical composition, texture parameters, hydration properties and fatty acids profile of fresh wild boar meat and meat after 2 months of freezing were compared. The research material was the M. longissimus dorsi muscle cut out of wild boar carcasses (Sus crofa). Analyses of physical and chemical properties of samples taken from 16 boars were performed. Samples were packed and frozen to –18°C and stored under such conditions for a period of two months. Freezing storage significantly increased the elasticity value and the colour of the meat as indicated by the decrease in L* and b* values. In frozen meat there slightly increased thermal drip and forced drip. The changes in the fatty acid profile under the effect of freezing were found more often in fat from muscle M. longissimus dorsi than in back fat of wild boar. In conclusion, it should be noted that freezing storage in a short time does not affect negatively the quality of frozen meat.