<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>In recent years a growing demand for ratite meat, including ostrich, emu, and rhea has been observed all over the world. However, consumers as well as the meat industry still have limited and scattered knowledge about this type of meat, especially in the case of emu and rhea. Thus, the aim of the present review is to provide information on technological and nutritional properties of ostrich, emu, and rhea meat, including carcass composition and yields, physicochemical characteristics, and nutritive value. Carcass yields and composition among ratites are comparable, with the exception of higher content of fat in emu. Ostrich, emu, and rhea meat is darker than beef and ratite meat acidification is closer to beef than to poultry. Ratite meat can be recognised as a dietetic product mainly because of its low level of fat, high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), favourable n6/n3 ratio, and high iron content in comparison with beef and chicken meat. Ratite meat is also rich in selenium, copper, vitamin B, and biologically active peptides such as creatine (emu) and anserine (ostrich), and has low content of sodium (ostrich). The abundance of bioactive compounds <italic>e.g.</italic> PUFA, makes ratite meat highly susceptible to oxidation and requires research concerning elaboration of innovative, intelligent packaging system for protection of nutritional and technological properties of this meat.</p></abstract>

In recent years a growing demand for ratite meat, including ostrich, emu, and rhea has been observed all over the world. However, consumers as well as the meat industry still have limited and scattered knowledge about this type of meat, especially in the case of emu and rhea. Thus, the aim of the present review is to provide information on technological and nutritional properties of ostrich, emu, and rhea meat, including carcass composition and yields, physicochemical characteristics, and nutritive value. Carcass yields and composition among ratites are comparable, with the exception of higher content of fat in emu. Ostrich, emu, and rhea meat is darker than beef and ratite meat acidification is closer to beef than to poultry. Ratite meat can be recognised as a dietetic product mainly because of its low level of fat, high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), favourable n6/n3 ratio, and high iron content in comparison with beef and chicken meat. Ratite meat is also rich in selenium, copper, vitamin B, and biologically active peptides such as creatine (emu) and anserine (ostrich), and has low content of sodium (ostrich). The abundance of bioactive compounds e.g. PUFA, makes ratite meat highly susceptible to oxidation and requires research concerning elaboration of innovative, intelligent packaging system for protection of nutritional and technological properties of this meat.

Technological and nutritional properties of ostrich, emu, and rhea meat quality

Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-776 Warsaw,

Journal of Veterinary Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Technological and nutritional properties of ostrich, emu, and rhea meat quality"}

In recent years a growing demand for ratite meat, including ostrich, emu, and rhea has been observed all over the world. However, consumers as well as the meat...

Technological and nutritional properties of ostrich, emu, and rhea meat quality

Published Online: Sep 23, 2016

Page range: 279 - 286

Received: Aug 04, 2016

Accepted: Sep 07, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jvetres-2016-0043

Keywords
emu, ostrich, rhea, meat, quality

© 2016 Olaf K. Horbańczuk et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Technological and nutritional properties of ostrich, emu, and rhea meat quality

Published Online: Sep 23, 2016

Page range: 279 - 286

Received: Aug 04, 2016

Accepted: Sep 07, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jvetres-2016-0043

Keywordsemu, ostrich, rhea, meat, quality

© 2016 Olaf K. Horbańczuk et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
emu, ostrich, rhea, meat, quality