Meat (Longissimus lumborum Muscle) Quality in Males of the Family Cervidae

The quality of the longissimus lumborum muscle has been compared in male moose, red deer, fallow der and roe deer from wild populations. The results of this study indicated that Cervid meat had favorable chemical composition and high sensory quality but its properties were affected by the species of the animal. The highest quality was characterized roe deer meat. It was found that her meat had the best water-holding capacity and was most tender, and intramuscular fat had highest nutritional value. However, due to the high diversity and variation of factors affecting game meat quality, further research is needed to confirm the observed interspecific differences between members of the family Cervidae.