Skin‐on and skin‐off processing methods affect processing efficiency, product yield and meat quality of goat carcass

Abstract

SummaryThis study investigated the effects of skin‐on and skin‐off processing methods on processing efficiency, product yield and meat quality of goat carcasses. A total of twenty‐seven goats (nine/treatment, 6 months old) were processed using three methods: (1) skin‐on for ethnic consumers, (2) skin‐off for traditional consumers and (3) skin‐off‐late (skin removal after chilling) for primarily traditional consumers, with an option for ethnic consumers with skin‐on. Processing times (slaughter, chilling, fabrication) and yields (chilling and fabrication) were compared. Meat quality and appearance were evaluated using sarcomere length, Warner‐Brazler shear force, collagen content and muscle colour. Skin‐on carcasses required significantly longer chilling times to reach the internal body temperature at ≤4.4 °C (9.5 h) compared to skin‐off carcasses (7 h), presumably due to the presence of the skin. Despite this, the total processing time from stunning to fabrication showed no significant difference across treatments, although the skin‐off‐late carcasses had longer fabrication times due to the skin removal step (P < 0.05). Dressing yield was lower in the skin‐off group, and fabrication yield was reduced in the skin‐off‐late carcasses (P < 0.05). Skin‐on and skin‐off‐late carcasses showed longer sarcomere lengths and lower Warner Bratzler shear forces than skin‐off carcasses (P < 0.05). Additionally, the skin‐on group had higher collagen content than the skin‐off group. Muscle L* values were higher in skin‐on and skin‐off‐late carcasses (P < 0.05), with no significant differences in a* and b* values across treatments. This research highlights the potential benefits of the skin‐off‐late method for goat farmers, processors and consumers, offering improved dressing yield, meat tenderness and visual appearance. The skin‐off‐late method also provides an alternative processing option that could satisfy both traditional and ethnic consumer preferences.