Effect of hot-deboning on the physical quality characteristics of ostrich meat

The effects of hot-deboning on the physical meat quality characteristics and shelf-life of ostrich m. gastrocnemius, pars interna (gastroc) and m. iliofibularis (iliof) were investigated during 42 days (d) of refrigeration. The hot-deboned gastroc was initially tougher than the cold-deboned muscles, while hot-deboning had no significant effect on the shear force of the iliof. After 14 d of refrigerated storage, there was no difference in tenderness between the hot- and the cold-deboned muscles. Hot-deboning caused significantly more purge (3.4 ± 2.33%) compared to cold-deboning (2.1 ± 2.06%) throughout the 42-day storage period. All muscle samples were acceptable in terms of Aerobic Plate Counts (APC < 10⁴ cfu/g) and E. coli (E. coli < 10¹ cfu/g), based on the South African Standards for the microbiological monitoring of meat for refrigerated export. It was concluded that hot-deboning did not influence the shelf-life of ostrich muscles negatively.