Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Technologia Alimentaria

Background. The aim of this work was to study the functional-technological, structural-mechanical, and antioxidant properties of wild boar meat as a perspective for meat processing and its comparative assessment with the meat of pigs grown in industrial conditions.
Materials and methods. The subject of the research was the longest back muscle (Longissimus dorsi) of a wild boar hunted in hunting grounds, as well as pork from industrial farms in the Sumy region, Ukraine.
Results and discussion. The work established that the meat of wild boars (Sus scrofa) has a high nutritional value, namely a higher protein content – 22.98 ±1.16%, a low fat content – 1.84 ±0.19% and, accordingly, a lower energy value – 115.49 kcal/100 g compared to the meat of domestic pigs. The conducted studies showed that the meat of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) has sufficiently high functional and technological indicators and is not inferior to the meat of industrial pigs. It was experimentally proven that the pH of the meat ranged from 6.7 in 1 hour after slaughter to 6.21 in 24 hours after slaughter. It was established that the water-binding capacity of wild boar meat is 51.8 ±0.11%, the water holding capacity is 68.2±0.20%, and the fat holding capacity is 40.2 ±0.13%. The meat of wild boars was characterized by a denser structure and consistency compared to the raw material of industrial pigs, regardless of the thermal condition. Minced meat from wild boar demonstrated the strongest properties: 2373.15 ±40.88 Pa×s in the cured state and 2504.31 ±61.09 Pa×s in the cooled state. The extent of technological losses during cooling, storage, and cooking for wild boar meat was less than for pork by 27.35, 25.93, and 11.57%, respectively. The dynamics of oxidation processes in wild boar meat was lower than in domestic pork. The concentration of free fatty acids in wild boar meat at the end of 16 days of chilled meat storage was lower by 26.67%, and peroxides were lower by 25.2%.
Conclusion. The meat of a wild boar is not inferior to the meat of domestic pork in terms of its functional, technological, and rheological properties, and according to certain indicators, it has a higher quality. Due to the low rate of oxidative deterioration, it can be stored longer than pork.