Quality of lamb meat from the Information Nucleus Flock

Warner, RD; Jacob, RH; Hocking Edwards, JE; McDonagh, M; Pearce, K; Geesink, Geert; Kearney, G; Allingham, P G; Hopkins, DL; Pethick, DW

doi:10.1071/AN10129

Author(s)

Warner, RD

Jacob, RH

Hocking Edwards, JE

McDonagh, M

Pearce, K

Geesink, Geert

Kearney, G

Allingham, P G

Hopkins, DL

Pethick, DW

Publication Date

2010

Abstract

The effects of production and processing factors on tenderness, and colour of lamb meat produced from 7 locations as part of the Australian Sheep Industry CRC's Information Nucleus flock were investigated, using data from 2052 lambs slaughtered in 2007. At 24 h post-slaughter, samples of m. 'longissimus lumborum' (LL) and m. 'semimembranosus' (SM) were collected for measurement of intramuscular fat (IMF), myoglobin, iron and copper and fresh meat colour (L*, a*, b*) and pH at 24 h measured on the LL. pH and temperature measurements made pre-rigor were used to calculate the pH at 18°C. Tenderness was measured by LL shear force at days 1 (SF1) and 5 (SF5) post-slaughter, the shear force difference (SF-diff) and SM compression and collagen concentration were determined. Retail colour stability was assessed using over-wrapped LL under simulated retail display for 3 days, according to the change in the oxymyoglobin/metmyoglobin ratio. All traits were affected by flock and date of slaughter (P < 0.001). After 4 days of ageing, 70-95% of the LL samples from all flocks, except for one, had acceptable tenderness for consumers based on their shear force. Low IMF, high LL pH at 18°C and high pH at 24 h increased SF1 and SF5 and also had an effect on SF-diff (P < 0.001). The retail colour of 44.8% of the samples on day 3 of retail display were lower than acceptable. Retail colour was influenced by IMF, pH18 and the concentration of iron and copper (P < 0.001). In conclusion, breeding and management practices that increase muscle IMF levels and reduce ultimate pH values and processing practices that result in moderate rates of pH fall post-slaughter, improve the tenderness of lamb. Extension of retail colour stability may be antagonistic to traits associated with tenderness and nutritional traits, particularly IMF and mineral levels.

Citation

Animal Production Science, 50(12), p. 1123-1134

ISSN

1836-5787

1836-0939

Link

https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/8612

Language

en

Publisher

CSIRO Publishing

Title

Quality of lamb meat from the Information Nucleus Flock

Type of document

Journal Article

Entity Type

Publication

Author(s)	Warner, RD Jacob, RH Hocking Edwards, JE McDonagh, M Pearce, K Geesink, Geert Kearney, G Allingham, P G Hopkins, DL Pethick, DW
Publication Date	2010
Abstract	The effects of production and processing factors on tenderness, and colour of lamb meat produced from 7 locations as part of the Australian Sheep Industry CRC's Information Nucleus flock were investigated, using data from 2052 lambs slaughtered in 2007. At 24 h post-slaughter, samples of m. 'longissimus lumborum' (LL) and m. 'semimembranosus' (SM) were collected for measurement of intramuscular fat (IMF), myoglobin, iron and copper and fresh meat colour (L, a, b*) and pH at 24 h measured on the LL. pH and temperature measurements made pre-rigor were used to calculate the pH at 18°C. Tenderness was measured by LL shear force at days 1 (SF1) and 5 (SF5) post-slaughter, the shear force difference (SF-diff) and SM compression and collagen concentration were determined. Retail colour stability was assessed using over-wrapped LL under simulated retail display for 3 days, according to the change in the oxymyoglobin/metmyoglobin ratio. All traits were affected by flock and date of slaughter (P < 0.001). After 4 days of ageing, 70-95% of the LL samples from all flocks, except for one, had acceptable tenderness for consumers based on their shear force. Low IMF, high LL pH at 18°C and high pH at 24 h increased SF1 and SF5 and also had an effect on SF-diff (P < 0.001). The retail colour of 44.8% of the samples on day 3 of retail display were lower than acceptable. Retail colour was influenced by IMF, pH18 and the concentration of iron and copper (P < 0.001). In conclusion, breeding and management practices that increase muscle IMF levels and reduce ultimate pH values and processing practices that result in moderate rates of pH fall post-slaughter, improve the tenderness of lamb. Extension of retail colour stability may be antagonistic to traits associated with tenderness and nutritional traits, particularly IMF and mineral levels.
Citation	Animal Production Science, 50(12), p. 1123-1134
ISSN	1836-5787 1836-0939
Link	https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/8612
Language	en
Publisher	CSIRO Publishing
Title	Quality of lamb meat from the Information Nucleus Flock
Type of document	Journal Article
Entity Type	Publication

Quality of lamb meat from the Information Nucleus Flock

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