Elsevier

Meat Science

Volume 82, Issue 4, August 2009, Pages 450-455
Meat Science

Nutrient composition and technological quality of meat from alpacas reared in Peru

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2009.02.015Get rights and content

Abstract

The aim of this study was to increase the knowledge on alpaca meat quality characteristics. Twenty Huacaya breed alpacas, reared under a traditional unspecialized production system at the Andean region of Peru, were slaughtered at ages between 18 and 24 months. Analyses were carried out on Longissimus thoracis and lumborum muscle (LTLM), unless otherwise specified. These included composition parameters: moisture, fat, protein, ash, minerals, amino acids, fatty acid profile (of both LTLM and perirenal fat), retinol and tocopherol concentrations and myoglobin and collagen contents. Other meat quality parameters were evaluated: pH, colour, water holding capacity and Warner–Bratzler shear-force. Alpaca LTLM was characterized by a low intramuscular fat content and mineral and amino acid compositions, polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids ratio and conjugated linoleic acid content comparable to those found for beef and sheep meat. However, specifically, alpaca meat showed a relatively high n−6 to n−3 (3.7) ratio and low vitamin E concentration. Values of alpaca meat technological quality parameters were in the ranges reported for more conventional red meats, the exception being a lower b value.

Introduction

Alpaca (Lama pacos) is one of the domesticated South American camelids who’s natural habitat is localized in the Altiplano, the high Andean zone extending through Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Chile. Alpacas are reared for their fibre and meat using unspecialized production systems (Aréstegui, 2005), in which alpacas are bred to thrive on the tough vegetation of that zone at altitudes over 4000 m above sea level (Neely, Taylor, Prosser, & Hamlyn, 2001).

Alpacas represent an important meat resource for rural Andean families (Fairfield, 2006). In Peru, the number of alpacas annually slaughtered is around half a million producing more than 11,000,000 kg of meat (Hack, 2001) – the alpaca-carcass dressing percentage expected is at least 50%, with carcass weight averaging around 23 kg.

The main acceptability problems of alpaca meat appear to be related to prejudices on the supply and demand sides, involving hygiene and safety issues (poor meat hygiene and the presence of Sarcocystis aucheniae), eating quality and socio-cultural aspects (Fairfield, 2006). According to Hack (2001), not only is alpaca meat consumed locally in Andean rural sectors, but the meat of healthy and young alpacas is demanded by consumers from upper-income sectors. The preferred animals are those up to two years of age, which is partially explained as, at this early age, meat is tender and a much lower number of alpacas are affected by Sarcocystis. However, most alpacas in Peru are slaughtered at 7–8 years of age, due to the small producers’ reluctance to sacrifice young animals (Fairfield, 2006).

In recent publications the quality of alpaca meat for human consumption was evaluated. Steele, Cox, Hope, Robinson, and Hawkins, (2006) studied the effect of age (between 3 and 5 years) and castration on proximate composition of male alpaca meat and found a positive effect of both factors on fat content. In addition, Cristofanelli et al., 2004, Cristofanelli et al., 2005 studied and compared several carcass and meat quality characteristics of alpacas and llamas (Lama glama) slaughtered at 25 months of age. These authors stated that llamas were more favourable than alpacas for meat production. Thus, carcasses of llamas showed both higher carcass weights and higher proportion of muscle than those of alpacas, although the dressing percentage was more favourable for alpaca. These studies also revealed that alpaca and llama meat showed remarkably low intramuscular fat and cholesterol contents. Moreover, mineral contents and shear-force values of alpaca and llama meats were studied recently (Polidori, Antonini, Torres, Beghelli, & Renieri, 2007a).

Cristofanelli et al. (2004), based on the quality characteristics of alpaca carcass and meat, and considering both the socio-economic conditions of local populations in the Andean regions and the high added-value obtained in richer countries for the alpaca natural fibre, suggested that alpaca should be bred as a fibre animal rather than a meat animal. On the other hand, in spite of the good reasons for promotion of fibre sector, Fairfield (2006) stated that alpaca meat production should also be promoted, since small producers need to be able to benefit from their animals in a variety of complementary ways.

Apart from the above-mentioned studies, no further information could be found on the physico-chemical quality of alpaca meat, as stated by Saadoun and Cabrera (2008). Therefore, the aim of this study was to contribute to the knowledge of the composition and technological quality characteristics of alpaca meat.

Section snippets

Sample collection

The study involved 20 Huacaya breed alpacas 18–24 months old, reared under extensive conditions on pasture characteristic of the Peruvian Andean highlands – these animals can be classified as young males and females produced on pasture, exclusively forage fed, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) standard for Alpaca and Llama meat (2006). After two weeks of forage and grain feeding in feedlot in Lima, animals were conventionally slaughtered in conformity with

Chemical composition parameters

Chemical composition of the alpaca LTLM samples, which were obtained from carcasses with a mean cold carcass weight of 27.4 ± 6.3 kg, is shown in Table 1 – carcass weight was slightly higher than the 23.3 ± 1.5 kg found by Cristofanelli et al. (2004) for carcasses of 25-month old male Peruvian alpacas.

LTLM of alpaca showed mean moisture, protein, IMF and ash contents of 74.1, 22.7, 2.2 and 1.1%, respectively. Moisture and protein values were very similar to those listed by Cristofanelli et al. (2004)

Conclusions

The present study provides data on the composition and technological quality of meat from young alpacas (18–24 months; which is considered an optimum slaughtering age range for alpaca meat quality). Since there is very limited information available in the literature on this subject, the data obtained might be useful for the development of quality standards to promote commercialization of alpaca meat in different markets.

Alpaca meat appears to be not only suitable but also attractive for human

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank to the “Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina” (Peru), the “Fundación Carolina” (Spain) and the University of León (Spain) for funding this study, to the “Laboratorio de Técnicas Instrumentales” at the University of Leon where the analysis of minerals were realized and to Jorge Espino Salazar for his valuable help with the experimental work carried out in Peru.

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