El pH de la carne de cobayo (Cavia porcellus) para consumo humano en los andes centrales del Perú

The aim of this study was to evaluate the pH of meat of Guinea pig from peruvian central andes. The pH of 60 Guinea pig carcasses were analyzed at the end of the slaughter process and at 1, 6, 12 and 24 h later. The pH was 6.79 ± 0.3, 6.74 ± 0.34, 6.59 ± 0.28, 6.45 ± 0.35 and 5.96 ± 0.11 for 0, 1, 6, 12 y 24 h post slaughtering. The equation that graphs pH was Y=6.7765-0.0231X-0.0005X² (R²=0.996). The absence of an appropriate descent of the muscular pH impacts negatively in the meat quality due to the proliferation of harmful bacteria. Studies are required to assess the impact of the deficiencies observed during slaughtering (it was not observed lairage nor ante-mortem shower and Guinea pigs were not stunned prior to bleeding and sticking was carried out with conscious animals) on the quality and shelf life of Guinea pig meat.