Investigating the contributing factors to postmortem pH changes in springbok, eland, red hartebeest and kudu edible offal
Date
2013
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AOSIS Publishing
Abstract
The objective of the study was to assess pH measurements between offal organs of different
species and the association between pH taken 4 h post-slaughter and different predictor
variables in the liver and lungs. A linear regression analysis was conducted on selected
variables to identify the main predictors and their interactions affecting the pH of meat
4 h post-slaughter. In an increasing order of magnitude during winter, the pH achieved at
16 h – 36 h post-slaughter in springbok heart, liver, spleen, kidney and lungs was significantly
(p < 0.05) higher than pH 6.0. The pH attained in springbok carcasses was (p < 0.05) below
6.0, whilst no significant differences were observed from the regulatory reference (pH 6.0) in
the heart. There was a positive association between the pH of game meat 4 h post-slaughter
and liver congestion. The pH of game meat 4 h post-slaughter increased by 0.11 units
(p < 0.05) per millilitre increase in liver congestion and decreased by 0.04 units (p < 0.05) per
minute increase in the shooting-to-bleeding interval, irrespective of the species. The lack of a
statistically significant association between some selected variables and pH changes in this
study suggested that either the factors may have a small effect which is only detectable with
large data-sets and/or the effect may be modified by other unidentified factors. As some of the
offal organs had final pH readings above 6.0, alternative measures are required to inactivate
certain endogenous pathogens in edible wild game offal sourced from endemic areas.
Description
CITATION: Magwedere, K., et al. 2013. Investigating the contributing factors to postmortem pH changes in springbok, eland, red hartebeest and kudu edible offal. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association / Tydkrif van die Suid-Afrikaanse Veterinere, 84(1): 1-7, doi: 10.4102/jsava.v84i1.919.
The original publication is available at http://www.jsava.co.za
The original publication is available at http://www.jsava.co.za
Keywords
Postmortem pH changes in game offal, Game offal organs, Edible offal -- Quality
Citation
Magwedere, K., et al. 2013. Investigating the contributing factors to postmortem pH changes in springbok, eland, red hartebeest and kudu edible offal. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association / Tydkrif van die Suid-Afrikaanse Veterinere, 84(1): 1-7, doi: 10.4102/jsava.v84i1.919