The principle of meat preservation is to create unfavourable conditions for microbial growth which may result in spoilage of meat thereby making it lose its texture, flavour and nutritional value. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of oven-drying and sun-drying as preservation techniques on the nutrient contents of three meat products (beef, chicken, and chevon). Two kilogram (2kg) each of fresh beef, chicken and chevon were purchased from the market in Abraka, Nigeria, and prepared for drying. After preparation, the meat samples were ovendried with an electric oven at a constant temperature of 600C, and another portion sun-dried with direct sun light between 9:00hrs and 15:00hrs daily for 5 days. Proximate analysis was carried out on the dried samples to determine their moisture content, crude protein (%), ether extract (%), crude fibre (%), ash content (%), and NFE or carbohydrate content (%). Sensory evaluation of the meat samples was also carried out to determine their tenderness, flavour, juiciness, and overall acceptability. All data obtained were subjected to two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at 5% level of significance, using the Statistical Package SPSS (23.0) software. Results from the study indicated that there was no significant (p<0.05) effect of drying on ash content, ether extract, and crude fibre, while there were increases in crude protein and carbohydrate contents of the dried meat products. Findings from the study also showed that while sun drying preserved the juiciness and tenderness of meat products, ovendrying increased the flavour and overall acceptability. |