Garganica kid goat meat: Physico-chemical characterization and nutritional impacts

A detailed physico-chemical characterization of the Garganica kid goat meat was carried out on samples (quadriceps femoris muscles) coming from different farms located on the Promontory of Gargano, in Apulia (southern Italy) by determining conventional parameters (moisture, ashes, fat, and protein content), stable isotope ratios (N-15/N-14 and C-13/C-12), major (Ca, Mg, Na, and K), and trace metals (Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, and Cr). Moreover, information on a large number of metabolites was obtained by means of H-1 High-Resolution Magic-Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (H-1 HR-MAS NMR) spectroscopy. The most interesting findings of this work, for their impact on human nutrition and health, were represented by a considerable protein content (18.9%) and a low fat content (2.98%), characterized by a remarkable average percentage of desirable fatty acids (62.76%) and a good (C18 + C18:1)/C16 average ratio (2.30), that make the Garganica kid goat meat a highly appreciable food product. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.