The effect of storage conditions on the hygiene and sensory status of wild boar meat

• Fresh meat of correctly shot wild boars was practically sterile in the depth of tissue.
• Significant differences between meat stored for 21 days at 15 °C compared to 0 °C/7 °C.
• The most notable differences were in total viable count, ammonia content and odor.
• Correctly placed shot and correct storage regime are essential for game meat quality.
• In the right conditions its high hygienic quality can be maintained for more than 15 days.

The aim of this study was to compare hygiene status of wild boar meat (shoulder and leg) stored up to 21 days at 0 °C, 7 °C or 15 °C.The microbial counts increased gradually in the expected sequence of increasing storage temperatures, with TVC at the end of storage ranging from approx. 2 log CFU/g (0 °C) to 5 log CFU/g (15 °C). The lactic acid bacteria and psychrotrophic microflora didn't exceed 2 log CFU/g and 2.5 log CFU/g, respectively. Whereas odor of the meat stored at 0 °C and 7 °C was still acceptable at the end of storage, the odor of the meat stored at 15 °C was barely acceptable after only 7 d of storage and also the content of ammonia was significantly higher.Game meat obtained from animals hunted in the correct way and stored at low temperatures had good microbiological and hygiene status which could be maintained for more than 15 days of storage.