RESEARCH REGARDING NUTRITIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF HORSE MEAT

E.C. Diaconu, Roxana Lazăr, Nicoleta Găină (Diaconu), M.M. Ciobanu, P.C. Boişteanu

Abstract
    In the context of polemics existing in Romania, starting from mass - media to specialised scientific profile, it is very difficult to affirm that one of the healthiest red meats is the horse meat.
    Having a low content of fat, rich in iron and containing omega 3 and 7 fatty acids, as some experts argue, the use of horse meat currently in the food industry creates controversy. The aim of this paper is to characterize the chemical composition of horse meat, on three muscle tissues, respectively, Longissimus dorsi, Semitendinosus and Deltoideus and harvested from a total of 10 horses slaughtered in a slaughterhouse in our country. The research was performed both males and females, the results being conclusive for this stage of work.
    This study brings valuable information regarding the nutritional value of horse meat, results that give us the possibility to compare this with other species that are slaughtered, such as cattle, pig.

Key words: chemical composition, nutritional value, horse meat