Off-flavour and Lipid Oxidation in Raw Venison during Storage

Abstract

Development of off-flavour and lipid oxidation in raw venison during storage was studied. M. Longissimus lumborum was excised from each carcass of four male Japanese Sika Deer (Cervusnippon centralis) one day after slaughter, and cut into 1-cm thick slices. These samples were aerobically or vacuum-packed (referred to as AP and VP, respectively), and stored at 2.5°C for 3, 5, 7 and 9 days. Beefs were also prepared as references. Off-flavor in AP venison was detected at 3 or 5 days storage, and the pronounced off-flavor was recognized after 7 days storage. Offflavour in VP venison or AP beef was very weak and it was negligible during storage. The numbers of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) extracted by 20% trichloroacetic acid solution increased from 0.13 to 0.76mg/kg in AP venison, but that of VP venison or AP beef was below 0.04mg/kg and it was stable throughout the storage period. Concerning the bacterial growth, marked increase was observed in AP beef only. From these results, the off-flavour in raw venison during storage would be due to lipid oxidation, not to bacterial spoilage.