Objective: Meat quality characteristics and sensory attributes were evaluated in three age groups (12, 18, and 24 mo) of one-humped camels of the Saudi Arabian Najdi breed.Methods: Thirty-six male camels (12 for each age group) were used. The Longissimus dorsi muscle from each carcass was divided into three parts and subjected to three ageing periods (1, 5, or 10 d) and evaluated for shear force, myofibril fragmentation index (MFI), expressed juice, cooking loss, and sensory attributes.Results: Age had a significant effect on shear force, MFI, expressed juice quantity, and organoleptic properties. Camels slaughtered at 12 mo exhibited lower shear force and MFI, and higher expressed juice quantity, tenderness, juiciness, and overall acceptability than those slaughtered at 24 mo. Ageing had a significant influence on shear force, MFI, expressed juice quantity, but not on cooking loss. Camel meat aged for 10 d exhibited significantly lower shear force values and expressed juice quantity, and significantly higher MFI compared to that aged for 1 d. However, ageing did not significantly affect sensory attributes, except for tenderness, in camels slaughtered at 18 mo.Conclusion: Both instrumental and sensory evaluations showed that young camel meat has desirable quality characteristics, with superior tenderness and juiciness.

Food Science of Animal Resources (Food Sci. Anim. Resour.) is an international, peer-reviewed bimonthly journal publishing original research and reviews on basic and applied aspects of the use of animal resources including the meat, egg, dairy, and edible insect/worm products. Food Sci. Anim. Resour. is published and distributed by the Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cooking methods (COMs) and meat cuts (MTCs) on the physical and thermal characteristics of camel (Camelus dromedarius) meat.Methods: Thirty-two samples from shoulder and round cuts of eight male Majaheem breed animals were prepared using three COMs: sous vide, electric oven, and pressure cooker.Results: COM had significantly influence on pH, water activity, cooking loss, density, and all color parameters (L*, a*, b*, chroma, hue). MTC significantly affected pH, water activity, cooking loss, and lightness (L*). Both factors significantly impacted specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusivity, while thermal resistance was unaffected by MTC. Significant interaction effects (COM×MTC) occurred for pH, thermal diffusivity, and all color parameters except chroma. Sous vide cooking demonstrated superior tenderness and moisture retention compared to electric oven and pressure cooker methods. It effectively preserved natural color attributes, resulting in enhanced lightness (L*), redness (a*), and chroma due to its uniform heating process. This controlled heat distribution minimized moisture loss and improved the meat's ability to absorb heat, as indicated by elevated specific heat values. These properties contributed to enhanced texture preservation and overall meat quality.Conclusion: The findings suggest that adopting sous vide could optimize the cooking of camel meat, enhancing its visual appeal and consumer satisfaction.