Effects of Feeding and Maturation System on Qualitative Characteristics of Buffalo Meat (Bubalus bubalis)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Nowadays, consumers used to being properly informed when purchased animal products. They are influenced by some meat characteristics like colour and tenderness. Nutrition is an important strategy to influence these properties, together with post day ageing processes. In this regard, the inclusion of fresh forage during fattening period and a prolonged maturation time in a monitored refrigeration device as Maturmeat(®), were assessed on 16 Italian Mediterranean buffalo bulls. Data regarding physical-chemical analyses, colour and texture on two muscles, the Semitendinosus and the Longissimus muscles, were recorded during two maturation times (30 and 60 days). The combined used of fresh forage inclusion and post dry ageing processes influenced in a different way the two considered muscles, suggesting that different muscles could have different properties. Moreover, meat colour changed in both muscles in animals fed green forage and maturated in Maturmeat(®) while no significant change was observed in the control group. In conclusion, the use of this monitored post dry ageing system could influence the saleable yield and productivity of buffalo meat and allow the creation of ready-to-eat food, produced starting from raw ground meat, that is very requested by the consumers. ABSTRACT: We aimed to evaluate the effects of post dry ageing (PDA) period on meat colour and rheological characteristics in 16 buffalo bulls fed two different diets: with (FRS) or without (CTL) rye grass. Animals were randomly divided into two feeding groups and slaughtered at 540 ± 4.7 and 533 ± 7.0 kg of live body weight, respectively, for the CTL and FRS group. After five days post-mortem ageing (T0), Semitendinosus muscle (ST) and Longissimus muscle (LD) underwent a prolonged maturation process in a controlled meat chamber for 30 days (ST) and until 60 days (LD). After 30 days (T1), significant changes (p < 0.01) in meat colour (ΔE) in both muscles of the FRS group was recorded, while no significant change was observed in CTL group. The FRS diet had a positive effect on textural properties of ST muscle compared to CTL diet, as well as hardness, chewiness and gumminess. All qualitative characteristics improved in the first period of PDA but, whereas LD showed to keep improving, extending the post-ageing period by further 30 days, the ST becomes un-processable at 60 days. In conclusion, a combined used of fresh feeding and PDA period could enhance both tenderness and colour in animal fed FSR.