Heritability estimates for retail colour stability of lamb meat

Abstract

Data from progeny of the Information Nucleus program of the CRC for Sheep Industry Innovation, born between 2007 and 2009, were used to estimate genetic parameters for measures of lamb meat colour stability recorded during 3 days of simulated retail display. Initial values of oxy:met (a measure of browning of meat) and a* (meat redness) had a slightly lower heritability (0.15 ± 0.04 for oxy:met and 0.08 ± 0.03 for a*) than measurements taken over each of the following 3 days, but overall the estimates tended to be moderate in size (for values at day 2, heritabilities of 0.27 ± 0.05 for oxy:met and 0.23 ± 0.04 for a*). Genetic correlations among the initial and daily values for both oxy:met and a* were all strong and positive (estimates all greater than 0.5), with the estimates among values taken on days 1, 2 and 3 approaching 1.0. There is potential for genetic improvement of lamb meat colour stability during retail display.