The Use of Horse and Donkey Meat to Enhance the Quality of the Traditional Meat Product (Kaddid): Analysis of Physico-Chemical Traits

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of horse and donkey meat in the production of kaddid-a traditional dish typically not made with these meats-from a physical and chemical perspective. The results showed that both meats exhibit similar water retention during cooking, contributing to comparable tenderness and juiciness, with no significant differences in pH values, indicating similar quality (<i>p</i> > 0.05). However, their amino acid profiles differ: horse meat contains lower levels of glutamate (<i>p</i> < 0.05), methionine (<i>p</i> < 0.01), isoleucine (<i>p</i> < 0.05), and leucine (<i>p</i> < 0.05), but higher levels of proline (<i>p</i> < 0.05), histidine (<i>p</i> < 0.01), and lysine (<i>p</i> < 0.001) compared to donkey meat. Both meats provide essential amino acids. Horse meat is richer in saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (32.44% and 39.58%, respectively), while donkey meat has a higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (31.51%), with a more favorable PUFA/SFA ratio, suggesting better cardiovascular health benefits. In terms of dried meat, donkey kaddid has a higher protein (17.45 g/100 g) and lower fat content (2.1 g/100 g) compared to horse kaddid (16.7 g/100 g, and 3.5 g/100 g, respectively) (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These findings inform consumer choices and production practices, promoting the use of horse and donkey meat for kaddid production.