# Physicochemical Properties and Volatile Profile of Chito: A Traditional Dry-Cured Goat Meat Product

## TL;DR

This study compares two types of dried goat meat (chito) to understand differences in their chemical and sensory properties.

## Contribution

The study identifies distinct physicochemical and volatile compound profiles between pressed and non-pressed chito.

## Key findings

- Pressed chito had higher pH, fat, salt, and hardness compared to non-pressed chito.
- Lipid oxidation products and aldehydes were more prevalent in pressed chito.
- Microbial counts were similar between the two types of chito.

## Abstract

Two types of chito were evaluated: non-pressed (NP, immediate consumption) and pressed (P, for sale). The characteristics were analysed in samples of three years (2021–2023). The pH, water activity (aw), proximate composition, heme iron, sodium chloride (NaCl), water soluble nitrogen (WSN), color, metmyoglobin (MMb), texture, lipid oxidation (Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS), and microbiological analysis were evaluated, while volatile compounds were identified in NP and P. The aw value showed a mean value of 0.70 in NP and P, values reported for typical commercial dried meat samples. However, P showed higher pH values (5.65–5.75), as well as a high level of fat (6.44–15.03%), NaCl (10.93–11.21%), lipid oxidation (3.88–6.32 mg MDA/kg meat), and hardness (223.67–574.01 N), with a browner color than NP, whereas microbial counts were similar between NP and P. Typical breakdown products derived from lipid oxidation were the main volatile compounds detected in chito, with aldehydes and alcohols being the most detected in P. The results suggest that some of the physicochemical characteristics, as well as the volatile profile, showed some differences between both types of chito, which suggests that there was a variation in the meat product associated with the making processes.