Publication:

Effect of linseed supplementation and slaughter age on meat quality of grazing cross-bred Galician x Burguete foals

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of finishing diet (control concentrate vs. linseed concentrate) andslaughter age (13 vs. 26 months) on meat and nutritional quality of foal meat. For this study, 46 foals from crossing GaliciaMountain x Burguete breeds were used.RESULTS: The obtained results showed that slaughter age had an influence on chemical composition and colour parameters.Foals slaughtered at the age of 13 months had lower content of intramuscular fat and higher cholesterol contents than thoseslaughtered at 26 months of age. Regarding colour parameters, older foals showed the highest values of redness and lowestmyoglobin contents. Finishing diet had a low effect on the majority of parameters evaluated. Foals fed with linseed presentedlower shear force values than those fed with control concentrate. Fatty acid and amino acid contents were hardly influenced byfinishing diet, whereas slaughter age effect had a high impact on fatty acid profile. Older animals showed lowest SFA values andn-6/n-3 ratio.CONCLUSION: Older animals presented the best meat quality. Diet had low effect in meat quality and could be related to theshort time during finishing diet was administered and the low amount of linseed in the experimental diet.