The Use of Horse and Donkey Meat to Enhance the Quality of the Traditional Meat Product (Kaddid): Analysis of Physico-Chemical Traits
Mohamed Aroua,
Nour Elhouda Fehri,
Samia Ben Said,
Alda Quattrone,
Stella Agradi,
Gabriele Brecchia,
Claudia Maria Balzaretti,
Mokhtar Mahouachi,
Marta Castrica
Affiliations
Mohamed Aroua
Université de Jendouba, Ecole Supérieure d’Agriculture du Kef, LR: Appui à la Durabilité des Systèmes de Production Agricoles du Nord-Ouest, Complexe Universitaire Boulifa, Le Kef 7119, Tunisia
Nour Elhouda Fehri
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Samia Ben Said
Université de Jendouba, Ecole Supérieure d’Agriculture du Kef, LR: Appui à la Durabilité des Systèmes de Production Agricoles du Nord-Ouest, Complexe Universitaire Boulifa, Le Kef 7119, Tunisia
Alda Quattrone
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Stella Agradi
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
Gabriele Brecchia
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Claudia Maria Balzaretti
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Mokhtar Mahouachi
Université de Jendouba, Ecole Supérieure d’Agriculture du Kef, LR: Appui à la Durabilité des Systèmes de Production Agricoles du Nord-Ouest, Complexe Universitaire Boulifa, Le Kef 7119, Tunisia
Marta Castrica
Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of horse and donkey meat in the production of kaddid—a traditional dish typically not made with these meats—from a physical and chemical perspective. The results showed that both meats exhibit similar water retention during cooking, contributing to comparable tenderness and juiciness, with no significant differences in pH values, indicating similar quality (p > 0.05). However, their amino acid profiles differ: horse meat contains lower levels of glutamate (p p p p p p p p < 0.05). These findings inform consumer choices and production practices, promoting the use of horse and donkey meat for kaddid production.
