EFFECT OF AGE, BODY CONDITION AND POSTSLAUGHTER HANDLING ON SLAUGHTER CHARACTERISTICS AND MEAT QUALITY OF CAMEL (Camelus dromedarius) IN EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Ethiopia having 4.5 million heads of dromedary camels is the third in camel population worldwide. However, studies pertaining to the role of camel as meat animal and its meat quality are not well addressed so far. This dissertation was aimed to investigate the effects of age, body condition, and postslaughter handling on slaughter characteristics and quality of camel meat in eastern Ethiopia. The survey assessed camel meat production potentials and constraints in Shinile district and Dire Dawa (DD) administration using semi-structured questionnaire from randomly selected 246 respondents. Male Issa type dromedary camels were sampled from routinely slaughtered camels at DD abattoir to study slaughter characteristics (140 camels), meat quality, compositions and slaughtering practices (54 camels), and shelf life (SL) and meat quality (18 camels). The camels represented 3 age groups: group 1 (6-10 years), group 2 (11-17 years), and group 3 ( 18 years); and, 3 body conditions (BC) (poor, medium, and good). Age and BC were the factors in 3 of the experiments; but age, NaCl (0, 3 and 6%), and temperature (4 and 23C) were used in one of the experiments. Results showed that camels were slaughtered violating many of the basic requirements of humane and halal slaughtering procedures such as cruelly cutting the Achilles tendon of hindlegs and slaughtering a camel in front of camels waiting the slaughter. Camels had mean live weight (LW) of 334.7 kg. The weights of hot carcass (HCW), edible non-carcass product yield (ENPY), inedible non-carcass product yield (INPY), total consumable product yield (TCPY), and total slaughter weight (TSW) were 186.4, 28.92, 110.7, 215.3, and 326.03 kg, respectively. The LW, HCW, ENPY, INPY, TCPY, and TSW increased (P<0.05) with age and BC. The dressing-out percentage was 55.5%. Respondents used to consume TCPY where the consumption of camel meat ranked 1st in Shinile and 4th in DD. Overall, camel meat was preferred 1st in Shinile and 2nd in DD. Camel meat was consumed and preferred to other meats due to the perceived medicinal use, healthier meat source, and better flavour. Respondents mainly practiced drying (32.9%), salting (22.37%) and ‘muqmad’ (traditionally processed meat) preparation (21.07%) to preserve meat. The camel and its meat production were mainly constrained by feed scarcity, disease, plant poisoning and poor management. Despite the constraints, 51.7% of respondents perceived an increasing trend of camel population. Regarding quality, flavour was lower in group 1 (G1) and poor body condition (PBC) camels’ meat (P<0.05); tenderness and juiciness decreased xv (P<0.0001) with age; and, overall acceptability was lower (P<0.0001) in group 3 (G3) camels. These traits increased with BC. Rapid pH decline noted in the first 4 h postmortem, and the ultimate pH (pHu) was higher in G1 (5.62) (P<0.001) and PBC (5.63) (P<0.0001) camels’ meat. Group 1 camel’s meat had higher expressed juice (EJ) (21.21 cm2/g vs 16.67 cm2/g) and cooking loss (CL) (42.81% vs 39.86%) than G3. Similarly, PBC camels’ meat had higher EJ (21.42 cm2/g vs 16.39 cm2/g) and CL (43.99% vs 38.48%) than good body condition (GBC) camels. An overall lower L* (29.66) and higher a* (12.17) and b* (9.69) instrumental colour values were detected. Proportions of muscle, bone, and fat were 54.9, 25.5, and 19.6%, respectively. There was a decrease in muscle and bone, but an increase in fat proportions with age and towards GBC. The moisture, ash, crude protein (CP), and lipid contents were 78.3, 2, 20.14 and 9.45%, respectively. The ash (P<0.0074) decreased and lipid (P<0.05) increased with age. The moisture (P<0.05) and CP (P<0.0028) contents were lower in GBC camels, and PBC camels had lower (P<0.0001) lipid content. Postslaughter handling over a 6-day period on SL showed that an overall rapid discolouration (60-65%) occurred on all samples on day 2 compared to the colour scores on day 1. The colour SL of camel meat was limited to only the first day. On each of days 2 to 6, off-odour increased (P<0.0001) with decrease in NaCl level at 23C. On day 1 and at 4C, samples had no off-odour. The odour SL could be extended to 2, 4 and 6 days for untreated, 3 and 6% NaCl treated samples at 23C, respectively. Meat from G1 camels was highly tender (P<0.05) than G3. NaCl-treated samples had better flavour and overall acceptability than the untreated (P<0.0001). The 6% NaCl increased tenderness and juiciness than untreated samples (P<0.01). The EJ was higher in G1 camels’ meat (P<0.0001), and the weight loss decreased with increase in NaCl (P<0.0001). It can be concluded that camels’ high meat productivity, increasing population trend, consumption and preference of meat by majority of respondents, and adoption of meat preservation methods implied the high camel meat production potential and its opportunities. Slaughter yield components increase with age and BC, but CP, muscle and eating quality especially tenderness become good towards lower age. Eating quality found to increase with BC. Thus, meat from camels aged 11-17 years with medium body condition can provide the optimal diet, yield components and quality traits. The 3% NaCl can be included in meat to benefit improved eating quality without adverse effects on SL. Options should be sought to utilize and add value to INPY that comprised 33.1% of camel’s LW.