Comparison of Meat Characteristics between Korean Native Duck and Imported Commercial Duck Raised under Identical Rearing and Feeding Condition

This research was conducted to compare the meat characteristics of Korean native duck and imported commercial duck. The Korean native ducks and imported commercial ducks (broiler duck: Grimaud) were raised under identical rearing and feeding conditions for 8 wk and 6 wk, respectively. At the end of the rearing period, ten ducks from each group were slaughtered, and breast and leg meat were obtained 24 h after slaughtering for analyses of meat characteristics. The results showed that the breast of Korean native ducks contained lower moisture and fat, and higher protein and water holding capacity (WHC) than those of imported commercial ducks (p<0.05). The breast of Korean native ducks also had higher CIE $a^*$ and lower CIE $L^*$ (p<0.05). After cooking, the breast meat of Korean native ducks had higher shear-force, sensory attributes of texture, taste and overall likeness (p<0.05). Also, the breast meat of Korean native ducks contained a higher percentage of palmitic acid ($C_{16:0}$) and arachidonic acid ($C_{20:4}$) (p<0.05) than those of imported commercial ducks. Furthermore, the leg meat of Korean native ducks contained higher percentages of total unsaturated fatty acid and lower percentages of total saturated fatty acid (p<0.05). It is concluded that the meat from Korean native ducks, especially breast meat, had better quality parameters and contained higher amounts of unsaturated fatty acids.