Chemical composition, palatability and physical characteristics of venison from farmed deer

The quality of venison from farmed deer were evaluated based on chemical composition, palatability scores, W-B shear force, ultimate pH, and color. The samples of venison were derived from javan rusa ( Cervus timorensis russa ), moluccan rusa ( Cervus timorensis moluccensis ), sambar ( Cervus unicolor brookei ), fallow ( Dama dama ) and imported red deer ( Cervus elaphus ). Moluccan rusa and red deer were fed grass. Javan rusa, sambar and fallow deer were fed concentrate. The venison obtained from grazing deer (grass-fed) gave higher moisture content (75.3%) than concentrate-fed or confinement-raised deer (74.4%) and imported venison (70.62%). Fat content in venison shows some differences between muscles and species. The concentrate-fed animals had a higher ( P  < 0.05) fat content in the venison than the grazing deer. Temperate deer (fallow and red deer) showed higher ( P  < 0.05) fat content than tropical deer (rusa and sambar deer). Venison obtained from concentrate-fed deer showed normal ultimate pH values (pH ≤ 6.0) and more reddish in color than grass-fed deer. The concentrate-fed venison produced slightly higher ( P  > 0.05) palatability scores than grass-fed venison. Feeding regimens (grass-fed vs. concentrate-fed) significantly ( P  < 0.05) influenced fat composition in the venison of farmed deer in this study.