Quality and cost economics of buffalo calf meat portions incorporated with antioxidant

The objective of the study was to develop a soft and tender product from buffalo calf meat with fat incorporation. As the addition of fat makes a product vulnerable to oxidative deterioration, an antioxidant of natural origin was the ingredient of choice. Especially since synthetic chemical antioxidants have been associated with several health ailments. Grape seed extract (GSE), a byproduct of the wine industry, was incorporated in the preparation of buffalo calf meat to enhance oxidative stability. The results indicated that GSE incorporation at 0.2% level, significantly (P <= 0.05) reduced the TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances). Additionally, the microbial counts were also significantly (P <= 0.05) affected by the GSE at a 0.2% level of incorporation. To analyze the production cost of meat portions, a total of 300 working days were presumed in an annual calendar, and a capacity to process 50 kg deboned meat per day was taken into account. For this, an amount of Indian rupee (Rs) 555,360 (Euro 6,589.68; 100 Rs = 1,19 Euro) was estimated as an initial major capital investment, and based on the above estimate a total quantity of 15,000 kg meat was to be required in an annum. Considering the deboned meat percentage, around 26,786 kg of buffalo calf meat was estimated for a year. For the final yield of the product, the weight of all the ingredients and cooking yield was accounted and the final cost of the product ranged from Rs 99.11 to 104.58/kg (Euro 1.18 to 1.24/kg) in the control samples and treatments, indicating a minor increment with the incorporation of GSE.