Search

The main factors that contribute to the quality of the meat are texture, flavor, color, appearance and odor. The texture varies depending on the size of the fiber bundles, which is not only determined by the number of fibers, but also by the diameter. The diameter of sheep meat muscle fibers is lower than that of swine and bovines, which tends to increase subtly, and according to the age, this gives a characteristic of greater resistance to the meat. The differences in meat tenderness can also vary depending on the genetic and biochemical composition, especially related to fat ratio, or types of fibers in the muscle. The texture can be determined by sensory and instrumental methods, especially in Warner-Bratzler, which 36% of the variance of the texture can be perceived by consumers. This is an important quality parameter to be considered before marketing these meats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the shear force meat of castrated Santa Inês-bred lambs. Thirty two Santa Inês-bred lambs, with a mean age of 9 months, were divided into 2 groups: C (castrated) and NC (non-castrated). The animals of Group C were castrated after weaning, by the surgical method of removing the testicles. At 45 kg live weight, the animals were slaughtered, and separated into loin cuts (Longisimus dorsi). The topside, formed by 9 muscles on the back side, was cut for analysis. Twenty samples of each cut were removed from each animal and then measured using the Texture Analyzer coupled with the Warner-Bratzler device, to determine the shear strength of the sample. The experimental design was completely randomized, and means were compared by Tukey test at 5% probability using the GLM procedure (SAS Inst., Inc., Cary, NC). The results for shear force (Table 1), for the loin and topside cuts did not present significant differences (P>0.05). There were no differences in the analysis of shear force probably due to the fact that the animals has been slaughtered at similar ages, when the male hormones did not exert influence on meat tenderness. Therefore, in conclusion, castration does not influence the characteristics of tenderness of loin and topside cuts of Santa Inês-bred lambs.

Color is the first factor that consumers consider when it comes to meat quality, linking it to freshness. The most common function of vitamin E (tocopherol α-), is its ability to act as an antioxidant in biological systems. The free radicals are neutralized by α-tocopherol before lipid oxidation is propagated between the cellular and subcellular membranes of highly unsaturated fatty acids. The antioxidants in meat have the function to delay the onset of oxidation phenomena, retaining the sensory characteristics. They are added to the foods to preserve their color characteristics, avoiding the appearance of anomalous odors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the color of the meat of Santa Inês-bred lambs, supplemented with Vitamin E. Thirty two Santa Inês-bred lambs were divided into 2 groups: S (supplementation with Vitamin E) and NS (not supplemented with Vitamin E). The animals were fed an isoproteic diet formulated to meet the requirement of 250-300 g/day. The S group was fed a diet containing 350 mg/kg ppm of Vitamin E per day, added to the concentrate. After the slaughtering, the muscle Longissimus dorsi was separated for the evaluation of the color with the aid of a colorimeter (Minolta) in the CIELAB system, which assessed the parameters: L (brightness), a (red content) and b (level of yellow). The values L, a, and b were obtained in three separate surface points in the muscle to obtain the average between the values. The experimental design was completely randomized, and means were compared by Tukey test at 5% probability using the GLM procedure (SAS Inst., Inc., Cary, NC). The meat color (Table 1) was not different between treatments (P

Background: Carcass and sheep meat quality are influenced by several factors, such as race, age, slaughter weight, type of diet, and dietary supplementation. Objective: To evaluate the effect of castration and vitamin E supplementation on performance, carcass characteristics and meat of lambs slaughtered at 45 kg. Methods: Thirty-two male lambs (16 castrated and 16 not castrated) were fed diets with or without the inclusion of vitamin E. The animals had an average age of 180 ± 20 days and a mean weight of 25.1 ± 4.6 kg. Performance was evaluated for 56 days, and the animals were slaughtered when reaching a weight of 45 kg. The experimental design was randomized blocks based on initial weights, and variables were assessed by a 2x2 factorial design (castrated and intact, supplemented or not with vitamin E, with a probability of 5%). Results: Higher proportion (p

This study aimed to assess the influence of lamb finishing systems on zootechnical performance, as well as on carcass and meat quality. The experiment was conducted at the APTA’s experimental farm. Thirty-three lambs were used – both sexes, initial age of 90 ± 3 days, Texel with Santa Inês, each animal being one experimental unit, with 6 males and 5 females per treatment. Treatments consisted of: lambs finished on pasture, in semi-feedlot or in feedlot. The lambs were slaughtered with average live weight of 35 kg. Weight gain and carcass measures were taken by ultrasound. After slaughter, carcass conformation and yield, pH, temperature, color, water retention capacity and tenderness were measured. Animals finished on pasture had lower weight gain, were slaughtered at an older age, with lighter carcass weight, smaller loin area, lower shank compactness index, besides lighter shoulder and shank weights, compared to the other production systems (p < 0.05). There was no difference between the semi-feedlot and the feedlot systems for the assessed characteristics. In conclusion, production systems affect animal performance, as well as carcass and meat quality, especially when it comes to important production aspects, such as slaughter age and yield of premium cuts.

Color is the first factor that consumers consider when it comes to meat quality, linking it to freshness. The most common function of vitamin E (tocopherol α-), is its ability to act as an antioxidant in biological systems. The free radicals are neutralized by α-tocopherol before lipid oxidation is propagated between the cellular and subcellular membranes of highly unsaturated fatty acids. The antioxidants in meat have the function to delay the onset of oxidation phenomena, retaining the sensory characteristics. They are added to the foods to preserve their color characteristics, avoiding the appearance of anomalous odors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the color of the meat of Santa Inês-bred lambs, supplemented with Vitamin E. Thirty two Santa Inês-bred lambs were divided into 2 groups: S (supplementation with Vitamin E) and NS (not supplemented with Vitamin E). The animals were fed an isoproteic diet formulated to meet the requirement of 250-300 g/day. The S group was fed a diet containing 350 mg/kg ppm of Vitamin E per day, added to the concentrate. After the slaughtering, the muscle Longissimus dorsi was separated for the evaluation of the color with the aid of a colorimeter (Minolta) in the CIELAB system, which assessed the parameters: L (brightness), a (red content) and b (level of yellow). The values L, a, and b were obtained in three separate surface points in the muscle to obtain the average between the values. The experimental design was completely randomized, and means were compared by Tukey test at 5% probability using the GLM procedure (SAS Inst., Inc., Cary, NC). The meat color (Table 1) was not different between treatments (P