Importance of the goat slaughter age on technological parameters of their carcass.

In this study we analyzed the evolution of technological parameters of goats carcass according to age. For this study we created two groups of samples, namely: group I represented by the goatling and group II represented by adult goats. On these meat samples we analyzed: meat chemical reaction (pH), water holding capacity, cooking loss test and drip loss (losses from refrigeration). For this samples we analyzed a total of 30 samples of goat meat for 15 for each group considered to be studied. Samples were collected from goats slaughtered during 2012 in a slaughterhouse in SE Romania. The values for the chemical reaction of the first group samples (goatling) varied between 6,20 and 6,32, the average being 6,26 and for the group II between 6,31 and 6,39, with an average of 6,35. Water holding capacity showed an average value of 61,23% for group I to 64,17% for group II. Cooking loss are recorded 37,62% to group I to 32,28% in group II, and for drip loss 4,06% for young kids to 4,88% to adult samples. Results lead to the conclusion that slaughtering goats at a younger age represents a disadvantage for manufacturing and processing, generating qualitative and quantitative losses in finished products.