Histological, Biophysical, Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Different Ostrich Muscles

Abstract

Some characteristics generally related to meat quality were evaluated in several muscles from the leg of the ostrich. Ostrich meat is characterised by a relatively high pHf and low intramuscular fat content. Although standard slaughtering procedures of ostriches at present comprise the removal of legs within 30 minpost mortemfrom the carcass, relatively long sarcomere lengths and the absence of a linear relationship (P>0·05) between sarcomere length and Warner–Bratzler shear measurements (WBS) show that no cold shortening occurs in the different muscles. The means obtained for theIliotibialis lateralisare representative of the mean of all the individual muscles combined regarding the characteristics muscle fibre diameter, WBS and pigment content. The overall mean for sarcomere length, pHf and collagen content of all the individual muscles combined can be deduced from determination of these characteristics in theFemorotibialis medius.