Research Notes: Eating Quality
of Australian Lamb to Become More Consistent
Meat and Livestock Australia have completed extensive research on the
eating quality of sheep meat and the best practices to ensure that eating
quality is optimized and maintained from farm to fork. Recommendations
for producers include:
- Lambs should be on a diet that allows them to gain weight right up
to slaughter.
- There should be as short a time as possible between when the animals
are sorted for market and slaughter.
- Optimum time to slaughter after arrival at the plant is 0 - 24 hours
for heavy lambs to minimize carcass weight loss and meat pH problems.
- Dehydration of lambs should be avoided during the sorting, transportation
and holding periods. At temperatures over 25°C lambs should have
access to water to avoid reduction in muscle weight and meat that is
darker than usual.
It is well established that the time and process from stunning to chilling
is extremely important and perhaps the most important in producing good
quality meat. Ideally, a carcass will enter rigor (pH 6) when the carcass
is 15 - 20 °C. Hanging method, aging period and storage temperature
are inter-related and can be adjusted to ensure good eating quality. The
following table from Meat and Livestock Australia shows recommendations
for processors to ensure good eating quality depending on the length of
time to market.
Processing Recommendations from Australian Research for Optimum Eating
Quality
| |
Short time to Market |
Medium Time to Market |
Long time to Market |
Frozen |
| Hanging Method |
Achilles |
Achilles |
Achilles |
Achilles |
| Electrical stimulation needed |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Enter rigor (pH 6) at: |
18-25°C |
18-25°C |
18-18°C |
13-23°C |
| Minimum aging period |
5 days |
5 days |
10 days |
5 days before freezing |
| Storage temperature |
1°C |
1°C |
1°C |
1°C then -18°C |
In November 2004, Meat and Livestock Australia announced that Australian
processors were in the process of adopting some of the new research information
and technologies developed in this project. It was reported that use of
electrical stimulation of sheep and lamb carcasses has been uncommon but
the Australian Sheep Industry Co-operative Research Centre will be working
with 11 processors to implement electrical stimulation into their plant
process. Electrical stimulation reduces the variation in tenderness between
carcasses. It also allows the abattoir to chill carcasses more rapidly
without the risk of causing tough meat.
