Genetic selection for sensory eating quality of lamb using consumer assessments

Abstract

<p>This paper reports genetic parameter estimates for correlations between consumer eating quality and carcase traits for Terminal sire sheep breeds. Four consumer sensory-assessment traits (tenderness, flavour, juiciness, liking) were collected on loin and topside cuts (n~2,700). Heritability estimates (<i>h</i>²) were low to moderate for these traits (0.12<<i>h</i>²<0.33), with the topside cut having slightly more genetic variation than the loin. Genetic correlations (<i>ȓ_g</i>) between sensory traits were high within cuts (<i>ȓ_g</i>>0.94) and across cuts (<i>ȓ_g</i>>0.61). There were moderate to high correlations of sensory with the objective eating quality traits (intramuscular fat and shear force) and low to moderately negative correlations with carcase lean meat yield. These estimates can be used to revise selection indexes, and potentially develop breeding values for consumer eating quality in multi-trait models with on-farm and carcase traits.</p>