## 3 Results and Discussion
Higher meat pH values are associated with better water absorption and stronger water binding. Flavor precursors dissolved in water are more difficult to release when the meat is chewed, which affects the sensory evaluation of the tested raw material. This is reflected in the lower scores for meat from the oldest animals in terms of the taste and smell of the tested raw material. It was observed that as the age of the animal increases, there is a tendency to receive a lower score for individual qualitative characteristics in the sensory evaluation. Such a distribution of results shows the significant influence of the animals' age on the sensory quality of the obtained samples. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Component**} & **Group I** & **Group II** & **Group III** & \\  & **(up to 2 Years Old)** & **(from 2 to 10 Years Old)** & **(from 10 to 20 Years Old)** & **\(p\)** \\ \hline Flavor & 3.09 \({}^{\text{a}}\)\(\pm\) 0.26 & 2.92 \({}^{\text{b}}\)\(\pm\) 0.22 & 2.90 \({}^{\text{b}}\)\(\pm\) 0.23 & 0.026 \\ Juiciness & 3.25 \({}^{\text{a}}\)\(\pm\) 0.50 & 3.02 \({}^{\text{b}}\)\(\pm\) 0.35 & 3.02 \({}^{\text{b}}\)\(\pm\) 0.38 & 0.029 \\ Tenderness & 3.09 \({}^{\text{a}}\)\(\pm\) 0.33 & 2.88 \({}^{\text{b}}\)\(\pm\) 0.47 & 2.82 \({}^{\text{b}}\)\(\pm\) 0.33 & 0.031 \\ Tastiness & 4.15 \({}^{\text{a}}\)\(\pm\) 0.25 & 3.98 \(\pm\) 0.34 & 3.95 \({}^{\text{b}}\)\(\pm\) 0.35 & 0.039 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} a, b: Means with different superscript letters in the same row differed significantly at \(p\leq 0.05\); means missing letters or having the same superscript letters in the same row did not significantly differ at \(p\leq 0.05\).  
\end{table} 
Table 5: Sensory properties of horsemeat depended on age (point). [PERSON] et al. [40], in conducting a sensory evaluation of horsemeat using a 10 cm nonstructured scale, reported tenderness at a level of 2.000 cm. The numerical values recorded for juiciness and smell were 3.708 and 5.160 cm, respectively. Among the many postslaughter factors that determine meat quality, active acidity plays an important role. The acidity of meat is one of the most practical and objective indicators for determining the rate of changes occurring in meat. Moreover, the level of this feature dictates the degree of advancement of the raw material's maturation process. It influences the meat's color, water absorption, tenderness, taste, and durability, thereby shaping the properties that determine its technological and culinary suitability [71; 72]. The data obtained in our research on the acidity of the foal meat and other age groups of horses are presented in Table 6. The analysis of the pH measurement results shows that foal meat had the lowest pH (6.73) 45 min after slaughter. This decreased to a value of 5.24 after 48 h of cold storage. In the following days, it remained at a similar level, indicating that this raw material is a durable product suitable for longer storage. The final pH of the foal meat was 5.35 after 120 h. This indicates a long period of maturation and suggests the possibility of further storage if necessary. Statistically significant differences were observed between the pH of foal meat and horsemeat from the third age group. It should be noted that the course of glycolytic processes was similar in all age groups: rapid and substantial decreases in the pH value of the meat during the first few days, and then maintaining this level for an extended period (120 h). Only in foal meat were these changes observed at a slightly lower level. It should be highlighted that the low pH (5.35-5.48) in all age groups of horses indicates that the maturation process had not yet been fully completed, allowing for this raw material to still be stored under refrigeration conditions. For this reason, horsemeat is considered a raw material with a high shelf life. The obtained distribution of results was influenced by the high glycogen content of the horsemeat, which is associated with long-lasting acidification inside the muscles.