Comparison of Domestic Fresh and Frozen and Imported Frozen Goat Meat

The objective of this research was to determine differences in carcass evaluation, yield, and meat quality from representative fresh domestic (FSD), frozen domestic (FZD), and frozen imported Australian (FIA) goat carcass sides (n=30 from each source). The U.S. carcasses were split into sides and the right side frozen and stored for 6 weeks. Left sides were fabricated into standardized primal cuts. After frozen storage, right sides and FIA carcasses were thawed for 3 days at 4°C. Three experiments were conducted on the carcass traits and meat yields, quality differences in leg cut, and differences in loin and racks across freezing and packaging treatments. Domestic carcasses were heavier (P\u3c0.05) with more (P\u3c0.05) external fat, but carcass conformation and lean flank color were not different than imported Australian goat carcasses. Australian carcasses had less waste and higher trimmed primal loin, rack, leg, shank, and shoulder yields as % of carcass weight than domestic sides. Freezing and thawing changed the percentages of cuts, but FIA carcasses had higher (P\u3c0.05) yields of lean trimmed primal cuts and FIA legs had higher (P\u3c0.05) drip, cook losses, and water binding, but lower (P\u3c0.05) color values than the FZD legs or FSD legs. With paired t-tests, FZD legs had higher (P\u3c0.05) drip and cook losses and lower (P\u3c0.05) color values than FSD legs. FZD and FIA chops had higher (P\u3c0.05) drip and cook losses than FSD. Freezing lowered (P\u3c0.05) color values of chops, however, packaging with 0.5% CO increased (P\u3c0.05) a* and chroma values of frozen meat over that of fresh goat meat before packaging. Vacuum packaging of goat chops increased (P\u3c0.05) drip and chops in overwrap packaging had the lowest (P\u3c0.05) color values. Packaging did not (P\u3e0.05) affect Warner-Bratzler shear values. FSD chops had higher (P\u3c0.05) shear force values than FZD, which were higher than FIA. Loin chops had greater (P\u3c0.05) drip and cook losses than rib chops. Rib chops were found to have higher (P\u3c0.05) color values both pre and post package and lower (P\u3c0.05) shear force values when compared to loin chops