Physicochemical and sensory characterisation of Salvator merianae meat as a sustainable alternative

MAZARATTI, MICAELA R.; VALLI, FLORENCIA E.; PIERINI, SOFÍA E.; GONZALEZ, MARCELA A.; PIÑA, CARLOS I.; CUFFIA, FACUNDO; SIMONCINI, MELINA S.; LEIVA, PAMELA M.L.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2024

0950-5423

Considering the escalating consumer preference for health-conscious commodities, reptile species’ meatcan be presented as an alternative animal protein source because of its notable nutritional characteristics.The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical parameters (pH, tenderness, cooking loss, col-our and fatty acid profile) and sensory profile of black-and-white Tegu meat. The black-and-white Tegumeat was assessed through to consumer-based sensory Analysis alongside the Yellow Anaconda,Broad-snoutedCaimanand broilers through. The samples of reptile species’ meat were obtained from sus-tainable use programs. In terms of physicochemical parameters, the results indicate that black-and-whiteTegu meat exhibits moderate brightness, displaying a pale pink/yellowish tone. Oleic acid was the mostabundant fatty acid in black-and-white Tegu meat, comprising approximately 22.5%, while the content ofpolyunsaturated fatty acids was approximately 34%. Regarding overall liking, all four types of meatsscored higher than indifference. However, black-and-white Tegu meat presented a lower acceptability(P