title: Carcass characteristics, meat quality and nutritional value of horsemeat: a review.
abstract: Meat has exerted a crucial role in human evolution and is an important component of a healthy and well balanced diet due to its nutritional richness. The aim of the present review was to shed light on the nutritional composition of horsemeat and their benefits for human health. One of the reasons for such interest was the occurrence, in Europe several years ago, of dioxin, Bovine Encephalopathy and foot-and-mouth disease problems in farm animals. Therefore, consumers began to look for alternative red meats from other non-traditional species. There is no carcass classification system on horses designated to meat consumption. It would be advisable to standardize the equine meat market to reduce variations that may reflect differences in meat quality. The nutritional composition of horsemeat by comparison with pork, beef or poultry is characterized by low levels of fat and cholesterol (about 20% less), relatively high concentrations of n-3 fatty acids and heme iron indicating that its consumption may be beneficial for health. Therefore, horsemeat may supplement the meat market with good quality products, although as in other dietary components moderation is advisable.
authors.affiliation: Centro Tecnológico de la Carne de Galicia, Rúa Galicia N° 4, Parque Tecnológico de Galicia, San Cibrán das Viñas, 32900 Ourense, Spain. Electronic address: jmlorenzo@ceteca.net.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lorenzo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Producción Agraria, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, Universidad Publica de Navarra, Campus de Arrosadía, 31006 Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: María Victoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Sarriés
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, S.P. per Casamassima, km 3, 70010 Valenzano (BA), Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tateo
authors.affiliation: Scuola di Scienze del Farmaco e dei Prodotti della Salute, Università di Camerino, Via Circonvallazione 93, 62024 Matelica (MC), Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Polidori
authors.affiliation: Centro Tecnológico de la Carne de Galicia, Rúa Galicia N° 4, Parque Tecnológico de Galicia, San Cibrán das Viñas, 32900 Ourense, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Agrarie e Alimentari, sez. Produzioni Animali, Università di Catania, via Valdisavoia, 5, 95123 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lanza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D009753:Nutritive Value
keywords: Carcass quality; Chemical composition; Horsemeat; Nutritional value