Sensory quality ratings, consumption pattern and preference for some selected meat types in Nigeria

Sensory quality attributes, consumption pattern and preference for some selected Nigerian meat types (beef, goat meat, mutton, grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus raptorum), African giant rat (Cricetomys gambianus--water house) were investigated. Sensory quality scores were carried out using a panel of thirty carefully screened consumers, based on a 9-point hedonic scale: While consumer consumption pattern and preference were assessed through a field survey of 120 randomly selected respondents using a well structured questionnaire. It was found that beef was the most consumed meat followed by goat meat, then mutton, grasscutter and lastly African giant rat. Consumption of grasscutter was constrained by availability and cost. Goat meat was the most preferred, followed by beef, grasscutter, mutton and African giant rat. In laboratory sensory rating of the meat types, grasscutter had the greatest acceptability followed by goat meat, mutton, African giant rat and lastly beef. The result showed that grasscutter was the most acceptable because of its good meat colour, flavour tenderness and juiciness. It is recommended that more research effort be placed on domestication, breeding and management of grasscutter and African giant rat so as to remove the availability and high cost constraints militating against the utilization of these mammals.