Present Conservation Status and Carcass and Meat Characteristics of Lithuanian Vistines Goose Breed.

The aim of the present study was to identify the conservation status of Lithuanian local Vistines goose breed and evaluate the carcass and meat quality characteristics in the breast and thigh depending on the sex. The status of the Lithuanian Vistines goose breed was evaluated by monitoring of the birds, which are included in the breeding system. Twenty geese from the nucleus flock at the age of 10 weeks and reared using a commercial concentrate diet ad libitum were used for the carcass and meat quality evaluation. Due to fluctuations in the numbers of geese and reproduction of purebred birds on a largest scale from the nucleus flock, the status of Vistines goose population remains critical-maintained. The difference in the live body weight between males and females was insignificant, whereas males showed higher carcass weight (p < 0.05), including the weight of breast, wings, thighs and neck. The sex did not affect the meat quality parameters, but the anatomical location of muscles has appeared to show a high effect. Thigh muscles had lower (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively) protein and cholesterol, and higher (p < 0.001) intramuscular fat contents compared with the breast. Thigh muscles also showed higher (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively) pH and EZ drip loss, but lower (p < 0.001) cooking loss compared with the breast. The breast was characterized by a higher (p < 0.001) shear of force and toughness with Warner-Bratzler test and higher (p < 0.001) hardness detected by texture profile analysis (TPA) compared with the thigh. Breast lipids had higher (p < 0.001) proportion of total saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, whereas the thigh was characterized by a higher proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids. Atherogenic (AI) and thrombogenic (TI) indexes were higher (p < 0.001) and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic (h/H) ratio was lower (p < 0.001) and less favourable in the breast compared with the thigh. Despite the muscle type differences, goose meat of the local conserved breed exhibited good quality and expected enhancing impact on consumer health.

Pork Consumption Frequencies, Attitudes and Sensory Acceptance of Traditional Products in Lithuania.

Finding a niche for the wider use of local pigs highlighted the need for information about consumer attitudes regarding pork and traditional products and the acceptability of fatter meat. With the aim to ascertain pork consumption frequency and Lithuanian consumer attitudes towards traditional pork products, as well as acceptability of traditional sausages from the meat of Lithuanian White pigs, a questionnaire-based survey and consumer sensory tests were conducted. A total of 136 meat consumers participated in the study. Respondents reported that they consume fresh or processed pork from 1 to 10 times weekly. Male respondents were more familiar with Lithuanian local pig breeds, while female respondents demonstrated knowledge of pork products. Boomer generation (1946-1964) respondents mostly (χ2 = 29.53, df = 10, p < 0.001) had pork at home compared with the respondents of younger generations. There were no significant differences in the blind sensory acceptance between sausages made in a traditional way and cold-smoked with different quantity of salt and commercial sausages of premium quality, while conventional hot-smoked sausages had lower (p < 0.001) overall acceptance. The highest (p < 0.005 and p < 0.01, respectively) acceptance for salt reduction in traditional sausages was demonstrated by the X generation (1965-1980) consumers compared with older boomer and subsequent Y (1965-1980) generations.

Effect of Gender on Meat Quality from Adult Obsolescent Horses.

The objective of the study was to assess the influence of gender, age, and carcass weight on the properties of meat from adult horses slaughtered in Lithuania. M. pectoralis profundus of twenty-six obsolescent horses from 3 to 21 years of age were used in the experiment. Gender appeared to affect the horse meat properties. Stallions demonstrated (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively) lower content of dry matter and also considerably lower (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01) intramuscular fat content compared with mares and geldings and higher (p < 0.01) cholesterol content compared with mares. The meat of stallions showed the highest pH; however, a significant (p < 0.01) difference was obtained only in comparison with mares. Meat lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) of stallions were lower (p < 0.05) compared with geldings. Meat toughness of stallions was also lower (p < 0.01) than the meat of mares and geldings. The highest (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively) proportion of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), higher (p < 0.05) and more favorable PUFA/SFA ratio, and also the highest (p < 0.05) but least favorable n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio, were detected in the muscles of stallions compared with mares and geldings. The differences in horse ages did not exhibit any effect on the properties of M. pectoralis profundus. Despite the age differences at the decline of horse life, the properties of the horse meat exhibited good quality and showed that horse meat is potentially highly beneficial to human health.

Pork Quality of Two Lithuanian Breeds: Effects of Breed, Gender and Feeding Regimen.

The diversity of breeds is an important factor influencing carcass and meat quality traits that are also associated with other different effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of breed, gender, and feeding level in the finishing phase on the carcass and meat quality of Lithuanian White and Lithuanian Indigenous Wattle pigs reared indoors. After 60 kg weight, half of the animals from both breeds were fed a restricted diet of approximately 82% of average ad libitum feeding intake, and the other half of pigs were further fed ad libitum to the end of the experiment. Feed restriction during the finishing phase decreased daily gain and weight of pigs at slaughter, and backfat thickness at the tenth rib (p ˂ 0.001, p ˂ 0.01, and p ˂ 0.05, respectively). Lithuanian White pigs demonstrated higher (p ˂ 0.001) growth rate, live body weight at slaughter and carcass weight, and had a higher (p ˂ 0.01) length of carcass and loin area and lower (p ˂ 0.05) backfat thickness at the last rib and at two points at the lumbar area compared with Lithuanian Indigenous Wattle pigs. The semimembranosus muscle of Lithuanian White pigs had relatively (8.1%) lower (p ˂ 0.001) proportions of saturated and 41.2% higher (p ˂ 0.001) proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids compared with the pigs of the Lithuanian Indigenous Wattle breed, whereas in the longissimus muscle and subcutaneous tissue, the breed only affected the n-6/n-3 ratio (p ˂ 0.01 and p ˂ 0.001, respectively). Gender showed an effect on saturated fatty acids in all the studied tissues, however, the effects on polyunsaturated fatty acids were found in the semimembranosus muscle and subcutaneous tissue (p ˂ 0.05 and p ˂ 0.001) and the effects on monounsaturated fatty acids was found only in the semimembranosus muscle (p ˂ 0.01). These differences in the fatty acid composition of the semimembranosus muscle and subcutaneous tissue of females exhibited more favorable lipid quality indices compared with castrated males (p ˂ 0.001). The semimembranosus muscle of Lithuanian White pigs also showed more favorable lipid quality indices in relation to healthy nutrition compared with Lithuanian Indigenous Wattle pigs (p ˂ 0.001). This study is one of the steps toward the development and utilization of endangered breeds. The obtained information can be used to increase choice in pork production and consumption, and provides new insights for research into the conservation of local breeds.