title: Associations of sire estimated breeding values and objective meat quality measurements with sensory scores in Australian lamb.
abstract: The impact of selecting for lean meat yield using breeding values for increased eye muscle depth (PEMD) and decreased fat depth (PFAT) on the consumer acceptance of lamb meat was evaluated. Consumer sensory scores (tenderness, juiciness, flavour, odour, overall liking) were obtained for the longissimus lumborum (loin) and semimembranosus (topside) muscles of 1471 lambs. On average loin samples were more acceptable for consumers. Sensory scores increased with higher IMF levels, with lower shear force levels, and when animals were younger and less muscular. Increasing PEMD decreased tenderness, overall liking and flavour scores in both muscles, and decreasing PFAT reduced tenderness within the loin samples only. This negative impact of PEMD and PFAT is not solely driven through the phenotypic impact of IMF and shear force on sensory scores. Our results confirm the growing concerns that selecting for lean meat yield would reduce consumer eating quality, and highlight that careful monitoring of selection programmes is needed to maintain lamb eating quality.
authors: Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, Australia; Murdoch University, School of Veterinary & Life Sciences, Western Australia 6150, Australia. Electronic address: l.pannier@murdoch.edu.au.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Pannier
authors: G E
authors: GE
authors: Gardner
authors: K L
authors: KL
authors: Pearce
authors: M
authors: M
authors: McDonagh
authors: A J
authors: AJ
authors: Ball
authors: R H
authors: RH
authors: Jacob
authors: D W
authors: DW
authors: Pethick
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D050154:Adiposity / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D001947:Breeding; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism*; D064170:Paraspinal Muscles / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D034561:Sheep, Domestic / Q000235:genetics; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013649:Taste
keywords: Flavour; Juiciness; Lamb; Odour; Overall liking; Tenderness