Effect of sheep type on meat and eating quality of sheep meat

The effect of type of lambs and hoggets on eating quality was evaluated using the M. longissimus lumborum (LL) and the M. biceps femoris (BF) from 210 animals. The animals comprised 7 types as follows: Poll Dorset or White Suffolk x ( Border Leicester x Merino) ( second cross unweaned lambs, mixed sex, 3 - 5 months of age); Poll Dorset x ( Border Leicester x Merino) ( second cross weaned lambs, mixed sex, 9 - 12 months of age); Border Leicester x Merino (BLM; first cross weaned lambs, mixed sex, 9 months of age); Poll Dorset or White Suffolk x Merino (PDM; first cross weaned lambs, wethers, 12 months of age); Merino x Merino ( weaned wether lambs, 9 - 12 months of age); Border Leicester x Merino ( BLM; first cross hoggets, mixed sex, 20 months of age); and Poll Dorset or White Suffolk x Merino ( PDM; first cross hoggets, wethers, 16 months of age). The animals were sourced from a number of different properties in New South Wales ( NSW) ( n = 120) and Victoria ( n = 90). Each carcass was subjected to high voltage stimulation ( 700 V) within 1 h of slaughter. All meat was aged for 5 days before freezing and was subsequently tested by consumers on a 0 - 100 scale for a number of attributes after cooking using a grilling procedure. The LL from sucker lambs had the lightest colour ( highest L* values) with the hoggets having the darkest colour in the NSW group with differences less apparent in the Victorian group. Muscle from first cross and Merino weaned lambs had consistently higher pH levels across the 3 muscles tested ( LL; M. semimembranosus; M. semitendinosus) for the NSW group with no differences detected in the Victorian group. LL meat from second cross sucker and first cross ( BLM and PDM) weaned lambs had the highest overall liking score, with that from second cross weaned lambs, BLM hoggets and Merino lambs scored as intermediate, while meat from the PDM hogget group had the lowest overall liking score. A similar outcome was found for the other sensory attributes with differences between types being lower for juiciness compared with overall liking scores but they were of a similar ranking. For the BF there was some re-ranking of the overall liking scores compared with the LL, with meat from suckers and first cross PDM lambs and hoggets being intermediate in score while second cross weaned lambs and first cross BLM lambs had the highest scores. The BF from hoggets ( BLM) and Merino lambs were given the lowest scores. The lower juiciness score for sucker BF contributed to this change in ranking compared with the LL.