Abstract
Tenderness, together with flavour, is the main quality trait that defines consumer acceptance of sheep meat. The factors affecting tenderness can be grouped as those influenced before slaughter, in the early post-mortem intervention and, finally, during the aging period. These factors have been extensively studied with respect to tenderness, but the impact of early post-mortem interventions and subsequent aging on the microbial quality of the final products has not been broadly reviewed to date. In this review, the authors summarize the most recent knowledge on lamb meat tenderness management and how such practices may impact the final meat quality, especially its microbial status. The impacts of pre-slaughter factors (age, sex, diet, genotype and transport) and post-mortem interventions (chilling regime, electrical stimulation, or hanging method), are described and comprehensively discussed.
Highlights
Introduction and ScopeDespite global sheep meat consumption amounting to 8.6 M tonnes annually [1], its consumption is inferior to other primary meat sources, such as beef or pork; lamb generally has a higher price point than other meats [1]
If just temp@pH6 is considered, a temperature around 20 ◦C is the most adequate; unless tender stretching is considered; in this case, very fast or very slow chilling regimes are recommended for optimum tenderness
Lambs were hung using two different methods, and exposed to two different pre-rigor temperatures (37 and 2 ◦C): It was concluded that the stretch treatment resulted in longer sarcomere length and less contraction in those muscles affected by the hanging method (Gluteus medius (GM), semimembranosus (SM) and semitendinosus (ST)), resulting in a significant improvement in tenderness, even at high rigor temperatures
Summary
Introduction and ScopeDespite global sheep meat consumption amounting to 8.6 M tonnes annually [1], its consumption is inferior to other primary meat sources, such as beef or pork; lamb generally has a higher price point than other meats [1]. This review discusses the pre-slaughter and carcass processing factors (pre and post rigor) that influence tenderness (and other important eating quality traits) and the microbial status of lamb. Eating quality, including flavour and tenderness, depends on the production, processing, value-adding and cooking practices carried out by the consumer [4]. In this sense, it is well established that animal sex, age, diet, level of stress and genetic background play a role in determining the final meat quality [3]. Post-mortem carcass interventions, such as electrical stimulation (ES), aging time, tenderstretching or temperature control after slaughtering are reviewed. There is a specific focus on the interplay between the effect on eating quality and microbiological effects due to alternate chilling regimes; chilling regimes have to follow the legal requirements in terms of time and temperature to control microbial growth, ensuring that meat is safe to be consumed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
