Consumer liking of M. longissimus lumborum from New Zealand pasture-finished lamb is influenced by intramuscular fat

JOHNSON, P.L.; AGNEW, M.; REALINI, C.E.; FONT-I-FURNOLS, M.; CRAIGIE, C.R.; PAVAN, E.; JACOB, N.; MOON, C.D.

MEAT SCIENCE

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Año: 2021 vol. 173

0309-1740

Palatability of meat is known to be affected by intramuscular fat (IMF), but the effect in relatively low-fat New Zealand lamb is unknown. This study evaluated the eating quality of 108 loins (M. longissimus lumborum) from a single flock of ewe-lambs. Loins ranged from 1.09?5.68% IMF and were stratified into 6 groups: 1.65, 2.12, 2.65, 3.20, 3.58 and 4.40%. Consumers´ (n = 165) overall liking of lamb increased significantly at around 3% IMF, achieving maximum scores at 4% IMF. One consumer cluster (n = 111) showed a linear increase in overall liking with increasing IMF%, regarded as ?IMF lovers: the more the better?, while a second cluster (n = 54) preferred 2.5?3.5% IMF, described as ?IMF optimizers: just the right amount?. IMF% was modestly correlated (~ + 0.25) with all sensory attributes except juiciness. Liking scores were modestly correlated with monounsaturated (~ + 0.25) and polyunsaturated (~ − 0.20) fatty acids. Results suggest aiming for IMF% levels in New Zealand lamb beyond 3% to maximize eating quality for premium markets in particular.