The Use of Concentrates Rich in Orange By-Products in Goat Feed and Its Effects on Physico-Chemical, Textural, Fatty Acids, Volatile Compounds and Sensory Characteristics of the Meat of Suckling Kids

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Spain is a major global producer of both goats and citrus fruits on the world. Using by-products of the orange industry for feeding ruminants has environmental advantages. In this work, we analysed how replacing cereal concentrates with dehydrated orange pulp (DOP) in the diet of mother goats affects the meat quality of suckling kids. We evaluated the following characteristics of the meat of suckling kids of the dairy Payoya breed: chemical composition; texture; water holding capacity; colour; saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (SFA, MUFA, and PUFA, respectively); volatile compounds; and sensorial appraisal. The inclusion of DOP in goat feed did not affect the proximal composition, texture, colour, or juiciness of the kids’ meat. However, the inclusion of DOP improved the indices of the nutritional value of the meat for human health (thrombogenicity index, PUFA/SFA ratio, and n-6/n-3 ratio). The inclusion of DOP in goat feed reduced MUFA content in the kids’ meat. An increase in aromatic compounds, including ethyl furan, dimethyl disulphide, and heptane, was observed in the grilled meat of kids from goats that were fed DOP. The use of DOP in goat feed improved consumers’ sensory appreciation of the suckling kids’ meat. ABSTRACT: We analysed how replacing cereal concentrates with dehydrated orange pulp (DOP) in the diet of mother goats affects the meat quality of suckling kids. Three experimental diets for mother goats were designed. The DOP-0 diet contained commercial concentrates and alfalfa hay. In the DOP-40 and DOP-80 diets, 40% and 80% (respectively) of the cereal in the concentrate was replaced with pellets of DOP (the alfalfa hay component was unchanged). We evaluated the chemical composition, texture, water holding capacity, colour, fatty acids (FAs) profile, volatile compounds, and sensorial appraisal of the meat from 30 male suckling kids (cold carcass weight 4.74 kg, 4.82 kg, and 4.65 kg for DOP-0, DOP-40, and DOP-80, respectively) of the Payoya breed (n = 10 for each diet). Meat from kids in the DOP-40 and DOP-80 groups exhibited characteristics favourable for human health, including the meat’s thrombogenicity index, PUFA/SFA ratio (0.60 index), and n-6 PUFA/n-3 PUFA ratio (approximately 7.50). The meat also exhibited reduced MUFA content (around 460 mg/100 g fresh meat). An increase in ethyl furan, dimethyl disulphide and heptane was observed in grilled meat from goats that were fed using DOP. The inclusion of DOP in goat feed improved consumers’ sensory appreciation of the kid’s meat.