Lambs fed with increasing levels of grape pomace silage: Effects on meat quality

The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of the meat of lambs submitted to diets with grape pomace silage (GPS) in substitution of the whole plant corn silage. Twenty four male lambs were distributed in four diet treatments with increasing levels of GPS, using a forage:concentrate ratio of 50:50. The diet treatments were characterized for chemical composition, and the lamb meat was evaluated for proximate composition, fatty acids profile, oxidative stability, color and sensory attributes. Changes in the lipid fraction, fatty acid profile, cholesterol levels and oxidative parameters of meat (p < 0.05) were observed as a function of the inclusion of GPS, with no changes (p > 0.05) in the sensory parameters. The GPS used in this study may be an alternative as a forage feed in the diet of lambs with benefits in the quality and oxidative stability of lamb meat, without affecting the sensory attributes.