Nutritional and chemical characterization of cow, camel, and goat meat from Kebridehar, Ethiopia: a comparative analysis and statistical approaches

Abstract

The study analyzed fresh camel, cow, and goat meat for physicochemical properties, including pH, moisture, protein, fat, ash, crude fiber, vitamins, and metal concentrations. Camel meat had the highest pH (6.01 ± 0.04) and fat content (6.48 ± 0.03%), cow meat had the highest moisture, and goat meat exhibited the highest protein (23.63 ± 0.01%) and ash content (1.03 ± 0.03%). Vitamins A, E, and D levels were consistently low across samples. Essential metals such as sodium (452.55–508.81 mg kg⁻¹), potassium (2994.13–3503.58 mg kg⁻¹), and calcium (282.41–594.05 mg kg⁻¹) were within acceptable ranges. Camel meat showed elevated sodium, selenium, and copper, while goat meat had higher potassium, iron, and manganese. The study highlights species-specific differences in nutritional composition and metal content, influenced by environmental and dietary factors, with implications for public health regarding both nutritional benefits and heavy metal risks.