Mineral composition of goat meat

In this chapter, the literature on the mineral content of goat meat is reviewed. Goat meat is a rich source of various minerals. Chemical ash, which comprises ~3.5% of total body weight, represents the inorganic material and is composed mainly of minerals. The ash content of goat meat is influenced by several factors including breed, age, sex, litter size and cooking method. There are about 90 natural elements in the body, of which only about 40 are essential. Some of the elements, the trace elements, are present in the animal body in small proportions (≤50 mg/kg of dry matter). Others, which are found in larger quantities, are known as macroelements and comprise the major elements of ash. The most common macroelements in the body include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and magnesium. The major trace elements are iron, copper, zinc, selenium and manganese, plus several others (cobalt, cadmium, lead, nickel and vanadium). Factors that affect the mineral concentration in animal tissues include species, type of tissue, muscles, sex, age, breed, diet and cooking method. There are significant correlations between various minerals in goat meat.