Summary
This systematic review consolidates existing peer-reviewed evidence on the factors that determine pigeon (squab) meat quality, covering intrinsic variables such as breed and age alongside extrinsic factors including nutrition and husbandry practices. The paper likely synthesises findings on physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory characteristics that collectively define commercial and dietary value of pigeon meat. As a product of Chinese-affiliated authorship published in Poultry Science, the review probably draws substantially on literature from East and Southeast Asian production systems, where pigeon farming is well established.
UK applicability
Pigeon farming for meat is a niche sector in the UK with limited commercial scale, so direct applicability to UK production is modest; however, the nutritional quality data and production factor insights may be of interest to diversified poultry producers or those exploring novel protein sources in line with UK food strategy discussions.
Key measures
Meat quality traits (pH, colour, tenderness, water-holding capacity); nutritional composition (protein, fat, amino acid and fatty acid profiles); sensory attributes; carcass yield
Outcomes reported
The review examined factors influencing pigeon meat quality, including breed, age, diet, and rearing conditions, alongside key quality traits such as nutritional composition, sensory attributes, and physicochemical properties.
Topic tags
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