Buffalo meat quality, composition, and processing characteristics: Contribution to the global economy and nutritional security

By B. Naveena, M. Kiran. 2014

111 citations recorded by the source corpus.

The rapidly growing world population will be consuming two-thirds more animal protein by 2050 than it does today. Numerous studies have shown that an increase in consumer income in fast-growing BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries, which account for more than 50% of global population, tends to induce important changes in the amount and composition of food consumption. The livestock sector can positively contribute towards augmenting rural livelihood, poverty alleviation, and food security. However, developing and fostering livestock systems that require low to moderate amounts of economical and external inputs and will significantly enhance production potential are key features of sustainable development. Sustainable livestock development, including diversifying livestock production, is a pragmatic approach to address both hunger and food security. Of all domestic animals, Asian buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) holds the greatest promise and potential for meat production (Cockrill, 1994). The performance of this species exceeds that of other bovine species in tropical or sub-tropical regions, where pastures are poor in terms of their quality. These differences have been attributed mainly to the capacity of buffaloes to transform and digest feeds of low quality (Ranjan, 1992). Buffaloes have also been reported for their diet flexibility, high disease resistance, and acceptability to a wide range of housing, feeding, and management conditions (Wanapat and Kang, 2013). The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO, 2000) has termed buffalo as an important asset that is “undervalued.” Meat produced from buffaloes has gained increased popularity in several southeastern and middle-eastern Asian countries and Africa because of its reduced fat, reduced cholesterol, and other healthier attributes. In terms of buffalo production and population, India is the most important place in the world. With more than 50% of the buffaloes in the world, India has become the largest bovine meat exporter. Buffalo meat does not possess any religious taboo against its consumption, is emerging as important red meat source, and is gaining popularity in many parts of the world. Considering the similarity of buffalo meat with cattle meat (beef) for several quality attributes and the increasing acceptability of buffalo meat, there are huge opportunities for development of the buffalo meat sector. Increasing global requirements and the ever-changing consumer demand for sustainable, economically viable, high quality, and healthier meat and meat products warrants the livestock sector to look for an alternative meat animal/poultry source to feed the burgeoning population. Therefore, keeping in mind the changing face of the global scenario, the present review was written to provide comprehensive information about buffalo slaughtering, meat quality, composition, nutritional aspects, and value addition relative to other established meat sources, especially beef.

Subfields: Agronomy and Crop Science, Animal Science and Zoology, Genetics

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