Meat quality and intramuscular fatty acid composition of Sanfratellano and Haflinger foals

The goal of the trial was to evaluate meat quality, with an emphasis on intramuscular fatty acid composition, of Sanfratellano foals, compared to that from Haflinger foals,both slaughtered at 18 months of age. Thirty foals, half of Sanfratellano breed and half of Haflinger breed, naturally weaned at 7–8 months, were divided into two homogeneous groups at 15 months of age and fed a finishing diet based on polyphite hay and concentrate. The finishing period lasted three months. Sanfratellano foals showed higher slaughter weight (P < 0.05) as well carcass weight (P < 0.05) compared to Haflinger foals. Meat physical and proximate analyses did not discriminate the two groups. Normal pH values (5.6–5.7) measured at 4–6 day post mortem were recorded in meat from both groups. Shear force values accounted (range 55–58 N) for a favourable tenderness in both groups. The intramuscular fat level was low in both groups (<2.5%) supporting the healthy image of this meat. The proportion of linolenic acid was higher (P < 0.01) in Haflinger meat than in Sanfratellano one, thus causing a higher (P < 0.05) total n−3 fatty acid content. Overall meat from both groups showed a favourable repartition among saturated (36–37% total FAME’s), monounsaturated (33% total FAME’s) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (30–31% total FAME’s).