Effect of seasoning solutions on the quality of deer meat

Abstract

Deer meat differs from common livestock meat by its distinctive odour and toughness. Hexanal, the primary odour-causing substance, can be reduced through casein adsorption or metal ion chelation. To improve texture, increasing water retention and utilising proteolytic enzymes may be effective. However, while these approaches show promise in isolated studies, their comprehensive efficacy and optimal application in deer meat processing, particularly in a practical culinary context, remain largely unverified and underexplored. Therefore, I investigated the effects of marinating deer meat using lemon, honey, banana, and yoghurt, all of which have potential deodorising and tenderising properties. Deer meat was marinated for 12 h in each substance and then heated. After cooking, the pH, moisture content, firmness, odour, and taste components of the meat were measured. The results showed that pH increased in all samples after baking, water retention was highest in lemon- and honey-marinated meat, and firmness decreased in lemon-, yoghurt-, and banana-treated samples. Yoghurt was the most effective in reducing odour, while lemon and yoghurt increased inosinic acid and alanine levels. Overall, the findings indicate that lemons are the most effective food ingredient for improving deer meat quality.