Lamb Meat Research Articles

Effects of Leymus chinensis hay and alfalfa hay on growth performance, rumen microbiota, and untargeted metabolomics of meat in lambs.

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of Leymus chinensis hay and alfalfa hay as the roughage on the rumen bacterial and the meat metabolomics in lambs. Fourteen male lambs were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments (one group was fed with concentrate and Leymus chinensis hay; another was fed with concentrate and alfalfa hay) with seven replicates per treatment. The feeding experiment lasted for 60 days. Lambs were slaughtered at the end of the feeding experiment. Growth performance, carcass performance, and weights of various viscera were determined. The longissimus dorsi and rumen contents were collected for untargeted metabolomics and 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing analysis, respectively. The lambs fed with alfalfa hay showed a significantly increased in average daily gain, carcass weight, dressing percentage, loin-eye area, and kidney weight. Feeding Leymus chinensis hay and alfalfa hay diets resulted in different meat metabolite deposition and rumen bacterial communities in the lambs. The relative abundance of phyla Fibrobacteres, Bacteroidetes, and Spirochaetes were greater in the Leymus Chinensis hay group, while, the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia were greater in the alfalfa hay group. Based on untargeted metabolomics, the main altered metabolic pathways included alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism. Several bacteria genera including BF31, Alistipes, Faecalibacterium, Eggerthella, and Anaeroplasma were significantly correlated with growth performance and meat metabolites. Alfalfa hay improved growth performance and carcass characteristics in lambs. Leymus chinensis hay and alfalfa hay caused different meat metabolite deposition by modifying the rumen bacterial community. These findings will be beneficial to future forage utilization for sheep growth, carcass performance, and meat quality improvement.

THE IMPACT OF INGREDIENT QUALITY ON WOOD-FIRED PIZZA TASTE AND TEXTURE

High-quality ingredients are the foundation of exceptional pizza. This discussion empha- sizes the importance of selecting premium components in pizza-making, from the choice of flour for the dough to the quality of tomatoes in the sauce, the excellence of cheese, and the freshness of toppings. The type of flour used significantly impacts the texture and flavor of the dough, while a slow fermentation process adds depth to the crust. Tomatoes, preferably San Marzano or organic tomatoes fresh from the farm is the basis of a flavorful sauce, complemented by fresh herbs and olive oil. Fresh mozzarella cheese of buffalo milk, provides a creamy richness unmatched by lower-quality alternatives. Toppings should fea- ture locally sourced, organic vegetables and high-quality meats, such as organic chicken and lamb meat. A finishing touch of extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, and fresh herbs like basil or arugula enhances the overall experience. In summary, the art of making the per- fect pizza lies in the meticulous selection of top-tier ingredients, ensuring that every bite is a culinary masterpiece. KEYWORDS: High-quality ingredients,Pizza-making,Dough,Flour,Tomato sauce, Toma- toes, Mozzarella cheese,Toppings,organic meats,Extra-virgin olive oil,Sea salt,Fresh herbs, Flavor, Quality,Crust texture, Food quality.

Combined quantitative lipidomics and back-propagation neural network approach to discriminate the breed and part source of lamb

The study successfully utilized an analytical approach that combined quantitative lipidomics with back-propagation neural networks to identify breed and part source of lamb using small-scale samples. 1230 molecules across 29 lipid classes were identified in longissimus dorsi and knuckle meat of both Tan sheep and Bahan crossbreed sheep. Applying multivariate statistical methods, 12 and 7 lipid molecules were identified as potential markers for breed and part identification, respectively. Stepwise linear discriminant analysis was applied to select 3 and 4 lipid molecules, respectively, for discriminating lamb breed and part sources, achieving correct rates of discrimination of 100 % and 95 %. Additionally, back-propagation neural network proved to be a superior method for identifying sources of lamb meat compared to other machine learning approaches. These findings indicate that integrating lipidomics with back-propagation neural network approach can provide an effective strategy to trace and certify lamb products, ensuring their quality and protecting consumer rights.

Effects of Metabolites, Sex, Sire, and Muscle Type on Chilled Lamb Meat Colour.

Meat is an important source of high-value protein providing sustainable nutrition for human health. The discolouration of meat results in significant waste, which threatens the sustainability of meat production in terms of availability, affordability, and utilisation. Advancing the knowledge of factors and underlying mechanisms for meat discolouration supports the sustainability transformation of meat production practices. Previous studies found that colour stability may be associated with signature changes in certain metabolites, including NADH, glutamate, methionine, and testosterone. This study aimed to confirm the effect of these metabolites and sex, sire, and muscle type on lamb meat colour. NADH and glutamate improved colour stability as evidenced by the increased metmyoglobin reductase activity, while methionine and testosterone had detrimental effects. Overall, lamb meat was discoloured with retail display for up to 10 days at 4 °C. The semitendinosus muscle had higher L*, b*, and hue angle and lower a* (p < 0.05) than other muscles, especially in ewes. Lamb meat from rams had a higher L* and hue angle and lower a* than the ewes (p < 0.05), especially in the colour-labile group, suggesting an interaction between sex and sire. The outcomes of this study will help make the production of meat more sustainable by assisting the meat industry in improving the selection of animals for meat production and processing practices to reduce meat waste due to discolouration.

Dietary intake effects on severity of cancer treatment-induced mucositis: A cross-sectional study.

Oral mucositis is one of the most serious complications due to chemotherapy and radiotherapy in head and neck cancer treatment. Oral mucositis causes a wide range of clinical signs and symptoms, such as ulcers, pain, and dysphagia. Additionally, because of speech limitations, patients' self-esteem will decrease, ultimately causing reduced quality of life. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the role of diet in the onset and progress of mucositis induced by chemotherapy and radiation therapy in patients with cancers. In this study, 121 patients with a mean age of 51.43 ± 13.08 years were selected randomly and referred to the cancer institute, where they underwent their first phase of chemotherapy. In this step, patients were examined and their severity of oral mucositis was graded according to the World Health Organization criteria. They completed a 3-day allergen food recall and dietary recommendations were met. After completing the forms, four questionnaires were filled out for each patient, the patient's nutrition was analyzed using the N4 software, and the amount of macro- and micronutrients was measured. Micronutrients such as aspartic acid, glycine, serine, proline, alanine, arginine, glutamic acid, and vitamin B12 and macronutrients such as rose water, sausage, beverages, coffee, and lamb meat were examined, and a significant difference was observed between groups (grade 1 and 2 mucositis) (p < 0.005). In patients with grade 2 mucositis, a lower level of vitamin B12 was reported (p < 0.005). There is a negative correlation between amounts of macro- and micronutrients and grades of oral mucositis. It can be concluded that diet plays a considerable role in the severity of oral mucositis caused by cancer treatment.

Multivariate optimization of hyperspectral imaging for adulteration detection of ground beef: Towards the development of generic algorithms to predict adulterated ground beef and for digital sorting

Due to its nutritional value, and taste, minced beef meat (MBM) is highly valuable therefore is susceptible to economically motivated adulteration. High-throughput adulteration detection methods are required to guarantee the authenticity and safety of the MBM. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in the 400–1000 nm spectral range, in tandem with multivariate analysis, was evaluated to demonstrate the feasibility of developing generic models to detect minced beef meat adulterated with other types of meats. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) method, the ensemble Monte Carlo variable selection method (EMCVS), a range of spectral pre-treatments, and combinations of any two of them were evaluated to predict the amount of MBM in each prepared sample scanned. The beef prediction model was developed using data from MBM adulterated with minced chicken and turkey meats and validated with data from MBM adulterated with pork meat at adulteration levels ranging from 0 to 51% at approximately 3% increments. Good prediction results were obtained using the EMCVS, on the asymmetric least squares (AsLs) + Standard Normal variate (SNV) pre-treated reflectance spectra (Rp2 0.96, RMSEP 2.9% and RPD 5.4) with 23 selected wavelengths. An independent set of MBM samples adulterated with lamb and duck meat were then prepared similarly at concentrations ranging from 3 to 21% to test the developed method. Good results were obtained in the full range (R2p 0.94, RMSEp 3.92%, RPDp 3.83) and excellent prediction results (R2p 0.95, RMSEp 2.78%, RPDp 5.29) were obtained with 9 optimum wavelengths (484, 508, 593, 596, 602, 736, 739, 924 and 960 nm). PLS discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), the EMCVS and spectral pre-treatments were used to discriminate MBM from other adulterants and achieved almost perfect classification for calibration, cross-validation, and prediction using 12 selected spectral bands. This study developed a high-throughput generic minced meat adulteration prediction and discrimination method based on selected spectral bands that can be used to further develop low-cost portable sensors for the digital sorting of adulterated MBM, and demonstrates the feasibility to develop generic models to detect minced beef meat adulterated with other types of meat.

Validation of protein biological markers of lamb meat quality characteristics based on the different muscle types.

This work investigated the ability of 8 potential biomarkers (phosphoglycerate kinase-1 (PGK1), pyruvate kinase-M2 (PKM2), phosphoglucomutase-1 (PGM1), β-enolase (ENO3, myosin-binding protein-C (MYBPC1), myosin regulatory light chain-2 (MYLPF), troponin C-1 (TNNC1) and troponin I-1 (TNNI1)) to characterize meat quality by analyzing their relative abundance and enzymatic activity. Two different meat quality groups (Quadriceps femoris (QF) and Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscles) were selected at 24h postmortem from 100 lamb carcasses. The relative abundance of PKM2, PGK1, PGM1, ENO3, MYBPC1, MYLPF, and TNNI1 was significantly different between LT and QF muscle groups (P<0.01). Moreover, PKM, PGK, PGM, and ENO activity in LT muscle group was significantly lower than that in QF muscle (P<0.05). Suggesting that PKM2, PGK1, PGM1, ENO3, MYBPC1, MYLPF, and TNNI1 can be used as robust biomarkers of lamb meat quality, providing the reference for understanding the molecular mechanism of postmortem meat quality formation in future.

Enhancing the Sausage Quality of Indonesian Local Lamb Meat with Microbial Transglutaminase Enzyme: Physicochemical, Textural, and Microstructure Properties

Indonesia Batur local lamb meat has emerged as a promising meat source for the production of emulsion-type sausages. However, the manufacturing process of this sausage typically requires high-fat content to achieve the desired quality characteristics. To address this issue, this study investigates utilizing microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) enzyme to improve local lamb meat sausage's physicochemical, textural, and microstructure features. This research aimed to develop emulsion sausages using local lamb meat by incorporating the MTGase enzyme. The experimental design encompassed various treatments, including a control group, the addition of 10% tapioca, and incremental amounts of MTGase (ranging from 0.2% to 1.0%). The sausages were evaluated comprehensively: pH value, color, tenderness, texture, and microstructure. The statistical analysis, employing ANOVA, demonstrated a significant improvement in pH, firmness, toughness, cohesiveness, and gumminess with the addition of MTGase, while also influencing the color of the sausages (P

Assessment of lamb meat quality in two cooking methods: Water bath versus oven cooking

This study investigated the influence of the cooking methods on lamb meat quality traits. Water bath (WB) vs. oven cooking (OC) was compared using commercial cuts known as T-bone and Leg steak (n = 20/treatment), sampled from feedlot-finished Corriedale lambs. All meat samples were analyzed for muscle area (MA) or cut size, final pH, color (L*, a*, b*), water-holding capacity (WHC), shear force (SF), cooking losses (evaporation (EL) and dripping (DL)), intramuscular lipid content (ILC), and myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI). The associations between meat quality variables and cooking methods were studied by correlations, principal components (PCs), as well as factor analysis. There was no interaction between the cooking methods and the cuts (p > 0.05). Variables MFI and WHC were similar (p > 0.05); however, MA, L* , a* , pH, and SF were higher in Leg steak, whereas b* and ILC were higher in the T-bone cut (p < 0.05). Cooking loss variables (EL and DL) differed (p < 0.01) according to the cooking method. The multivariate approach showed that the first two PCs (PC1 and PC2) explained about 44% of the variability in lamb meat. Variables related to cut size (MA), tenderness (SF and MFI), and chemical composition (ILC) defined PC1 (24%), while variables EL and DL contributed to define PC2 (20%). The sum of EL and DL (total cooking losses – CL) was lower in the WB method for both cuts studied. Besides, EL was greater in OC, while DL was greater in WB, which may affect water loss and juiciness of lamb meat. Leg steak had higher MA, but lower ILC, and showed higher SF regardless of the cooking method used.

The use of protein-carbohydrate composition of okara, chickpea flour and whey protein in the technology of minced meat cutlets

Kazakhstan's market for producing minced meat semi-finished products is not sufficiently developed. At the same time, the demand for products of the “economy” segment is growing. Providing balanced recipes for semi-finished meat products, with a rational combination of raw materials of animal and vegetable origin, is a significant problem. Chopped meat cutlets with high nutritional and low energy value have been developed, which are not inferior in functional and technological properties and sensory characteristics to traditional products. Pork and wheat bread were excluded from the recipes, with a replacement for lamb or broiler chicken meat in combination with a protein-carbohydrate composition (PCC) of the composition: soy minced okara – chickpea flour – whey protein concentrate (WPC 80) in a ratio of 9:5:10, at 1:3 hydration. The rational share of the introduction of PCC into the recipe of cutlets was 25% for minced beef – the meat of broiler chickens and 20% for minced beef – lamb. The studied samples of PCC, control minced meat with pork and bread, and two modified minced meat recipes for cutlets have similar values of the mass ratio of water fractions at three stages of dehydration during heat treatment. PCC particles are evenly distributed between the muscle fibers in minced meat. It has been shown that the developed PCC can serve as a substitute for minced meat not only in terms of the balance of the amino acid composition of the total protein but also in terms of the percentage of moisture with different forms of communication with the product, influencing the microstructure and consistency of raw semi-finished products of the combined composition, the consistency and juiciness of fried cutlets. According to the developed recipes, the mass fraction of protein in cutlets increased from 13.8 to 19.1-19.8%; fat decreased from 12.6 to 9.5-9.7%.

Investigating trends in consumer preferences and willingness to pay for lamb and goat meat: A case study from Florida

AbstractConsidering the growing demand for healthy and environmentally conscious food products in the United States, lamb and goat meat have proved to be beneficial alternatives to other red meats. This study investigates consumer trends and preferences for lamb and goat meat in Florida and sheds light on regional preferences for these products, providing groundwork for further studies. An online survey was conducted using 924 primary shoppers in Florida. Respondents were asked questions regarding demographic characteristics, behavioral qualities, and attributes associated with meat‐buying consumers. A contingent valuation method was used to derive willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) estimates by having participants report the maximum price they would pay for one pound of shoulder cut from lamb or goat. This study focuses on WTP for lamb/goat meat and uses Tobit regression analyses to test relationships between WTP and the consumer attributes described. Various regression specifications were estimated in the analyses to examine the robustness of significant correlations. Results surrounding the consumer WTP were similar for lamb and goat meat, showing that: (1) adventurousness when tasting food is positively correlated with WTP, (2) younger generations (Millennials and Gen Z) tend to have a higher WTP than older generations (Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation), (3) having tasted/liked lamb/goat meat previously both seem to positively influence WTP, (4) importance of access to culturally significant food products is positively correlated with WTP for lamb meat only, and (5) identifying as Hispanic had a negative correlation with WTP for goat meat only.

The quality of meat in milk fed lambs is affected by the ewe diet: A review

Several scientific publications have highlighted the importance of feeding management practices in improving the nutritional properties of milk from dairy ewes. Meat production quality from suckling lambs is based on the use of milk as exclusive or near exclusive dietary component. There is considerable evidence that lamb meat contains many important nutrients and bioactive compounds that play an important role in consumer health. This paper examines the different quality characteristics of lamb meat from ewes fed different diets to improve milk quality. To conduct this research, we consulted different scientific databases and acquired relevant documents that studied the relationships between the dietary treatment of lactating ewes and the performance of their suckling lambs (growth and carcass traits) as well as the meat quality in terms of nutrient content (fat and protein in particular), bioactive compounds content (fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidant molecules), color, odor and flavor. The extent of change in meat carcass traits and meat quality of suckling lambs due to different feeding strategies applied to ewes was evaluated and discussed. This overview of the knowledge on the relationship between the milk quality and suckling lamb quality can be useful for production and communication strategies development for the lamb meat industry.

The influence of forsythia essential oil and ZnO nanoparticles on the physicochemical properties of ASKG-based film and its effect on the preservation of meat quality

The non-biodegradable plastic films used for food preservation are associated with health hazards and have a negative impact on the environment, which demands the development of active films from non-toxic and antioxidant-rich bio-sources. Thus, the reported work focused on the development and characterization of Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch. gum (ASKG)-based novel bioactive film with excellent antibacterial, antioxidant, and physicochemical properties by incorporating Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and forsythia essential oil (FEO) to extend the shelf life of chicken and lamb meat. The incorporation of ZnONPs and FEO significantly increased the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the films against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. This addition also reduced moisture absorption (55.89–44.02%), water solubility (38.24–29.26%), moisture content (25.52–20.97%), oxygen (1.58–1.10 cm3/m2.24h.0.1 MPa) and water vapor permeability (6.67 × 10-11-4.93 × 10-11g mm-1 s-1pa-1) of the films. Moreover, the thickness, mechanical properties, thermal stability, and barrier properties against UV light were improved. The results of Fourier Transform Infrared and scanning electron microscopy demonstrated proper combination and uniform distribution of ZnONPs and FEO in the film matrix, while the X-ray diffraction study showed a new crystal phase corresponding to ZnONPs. The chicken and lamb meat samples wrapped in the active films presented significantly lower pH, total volatile basic nitrogen, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and total bacterial count values than the samples wrapped in the control ASKG film. The film also improved the color and maintained the texture of chicken and lamb meat during storage at 4 °C.

Unraveling proteome changes of Sunit lamb meat in different feeding regimes and its relationship to flavor analyzed by TMT-labeled quantitative proteomic

In order to explore the molecular mechanism of the effect of feeding regimes on lamb flavor, biceps femoris muscle samples from pasture-fed groups (PF) and concentrate-fed groups (CF) were chosen, and tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling combined with mass spectrometry (MS) was performed to find associations between flavor indicators and proteome profiles. The content and composition of amino acids and volatile flavor substances were better in the PF compared to the CF, with higher levels of some beneficial flavor components such as Arg, Pro Pentanal, Heptanal, Octanal, 1-octen-3-ol and 2,3-Octanedione. About 82 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified. The Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis indicated that the pathways that may be associated with lamb flavor are focused on amino acid anabolism. These results provide a basis for further understanding of the molecular mechanisms of proteins in meat flavor regulation.

Combining sheep and beef cattle in a pasture-based system minorly influenced muscle and fat colour and dorsal fat firmness but increased fat skatole content in lambs.

A recent long-term system-level experiment, using grassland-based organic systems established as separate farmlets, showed that combining sheep and beef cattle within a mixed (MIX) system promoted self-sufficient production of grass-fed meat and improved economic and environmental performance in the sheep enterprise compared to a sheep-only (SH) system. In the present study, we used all male lambs produced over the first year in this experiment to evaluate the effect of this farming practice on some lamb carcass and meat sensory quality traits. Lambing took place at the end of February and lambs were pasture-fed from 1month of age on average until slaughter, unless they were not ready for slaughter at 3-4weeks before the start of the mating period in October, in which case they were finished indoors on a concentrate-based diet. All MIX lambs (n=33) were finished at pasture. One SH lamb (out of a total of 85) had to be finished indoors with a concentrate-based diet. MIX lambs had a higher growth rate than SH lambs (P<0.001), resulting in a lower lamb age at slaughter in MIX than in SH (150 vs 173days, P<0.001). Carcass weight and degree of fatness, kidney fat weight and dorsal fat thickness did not differ between systems. Kidney fat skatole concentration was higher in MIX than in SH (median value reaching 0.15µg/g liquid fat and 0.11µg/g liquid fat in MIX and SH, respectively, P<0.05). This was most likely due to MIX lambs being slaughtered at a younger age and therefore eating younger grass. There were minor differences between MIX and SH lambs in dorsal fat firmness and in colour coordinates of longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle. We conclude that while combining sheep and beef cattle within a mixed system offers advantages in terms of self-sufficient production of grass-fed meat and system economic and environmental performance, it could come at a cost to lamb flavour.

Chemical composition of meat from different species of animals

The study aimed to comparatively examine meats in terms of chemical composition originating from beef, lamb, chicken, and rabbit consumed in Türkiye and to reveal their superior aspects compared to each other and also to determine the place of rabbit meat, which is not commonly consumed among other meats. As material of the study 48 meat samples were used, 12 from each of the beef, lamb, chicken, and rabbit species provided that each of them belonged to a different animal. Moisture, ash, crude protein, and crude fat levels of the meat samples were compared between meat sources. The highest value in terms of fat and ash ratio were determined in lamb meat (P&amp;lt;0.001). Chicken meat had the highest protein ratio. Rabbit and lamb meats were followed, respectively (P&amp;lt;0.001). In terms of moisture beef meat had the highest values and there was no significant differences between other source of meat. In conclusion, as rabbit meat had higher protein ratio and lower fat ratio compared with other meat sources, it would be beneficial to expand the production and consumption. Chicken meat was advised to include in diets of patients suffering from obesity or cardio-vasculer diseases because of the highest protein and lower fat content. Lamb meat should be an indispensable part of diets due to its rich ash content. As the highest moisture content beef it could be preferred for making different kinds of meat by-products and consumed by the majority of people.

Carcass meat quality, volatile compound profile, and gene expression in Tan sheep under different feeding regimes

The formation mechanism of volatile compounds in Tan lamb meat under different feeding regimes remains unclear. This study aimed to determine whether the volatile compounds in meat are related to lipid metabolism in an attempt to improve the theoretical basis for increasing the yield and quality of lamb production. Results showed that the specialized pasture grazing with indoor feeding (GF) and indoor feeding only (F) regimes had advantages in terms of growth and carcass traits compared to the specialized pasture grazing only (G) regime. Lamb meat qualities of the GF group were in an intergrade position compared to those of the F and G groups. Although the lamb meat of the three groups had different aroma attributes, as measured using SPME-GC-MS, GF lamb meat had the most pleasant active compounds. In contrast, the expression of lipid transport genes was altered in all three groups. In summary, Tan lambs had different growth performance, intramuscular fat content, and composition under the three feeding regimes, which might be due to the differences in energy and lipid transport, resulting in unique volatile compound profiles in meat from different groups.

Improving some growth characteristics, quantitative and qualitative characteristics of carcass meat of male Awassi lambs by using palm oil

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of adding palm oil (PO) to the treatments on the growth and quantitative characteristics of the meat of male Awassi lambs. As (12) Awassi males were used locally, their ages ranged between 4-4.5 months, with an average live weight of 22.16 ± 0.85 kg. Throughout the characteristics, the animal weights were noted weekly (120 days). Up to the conclusion of the study period, all lambs were killed, skinned, and hollowed out. These were the outcomes: The amount of total intake of concentrated feed was substantially higher (P &lt; 0.01) in the treatments containing 4 and 6% (PO) and T1 than in the treatment containing 2%. (PO). In the same context, the treatment containing 6% (PO) and T1 also outperformed the treatment containing 2% (PO) highly significantly (P &lt; 0.01) in the daily intake of concentrated feed, While the (PO) treatments recorded a highly significant decrease (P &lt; 0.01) in the total intake of hay feed when compared to (T1), In the same context, the (PO) treatments recorded a highly significant decrease (P &lt; 0.01) in the total and daily intake of concentrated and (T1). When compared to T1, the end weight, daily weight gain, and overall weight gain all showed extremely significant superiority (P &lt; 0.01) for the fourth treatment. All study criteria have seen an improvement in feed conversion efficiency. • When compared to T1, the treatments (PO) (the third and fourth) significantly outperformed (P &lt; 0.01) T1 In terms of average final weight, empty body weight, and the percentage of dressings based on hot and cold carcass weight. In the same vein, the fourth treatment significantly outperformed (P &lt; 0.01) T1 and the other (PO) treatments in terms of carcass weight based on hot and cold weight. • The treatment containing 6% (PO) had a highly significant superiority (P &lt; 0.01) in the thickness of the fat layer compared to the other study treatments, and the treatment containing 6% (PO) had a highly significant superiority (P &lt; 0.01) in the characteristic of ocular muscle area, including control, compared to the treatment containing 4% (PO).

Assessing consumers' preferences for beef and lamb meat linked to wildfire prevention services

Meat from silvopastoral systems, due to its provision of numerous ecosystem services such as wildfire risk reduction in Mediterranean forests, can address societal growing demands for meat produced with lower environmental impacts. Differentiation of meat from these systems may contribute to their economic sustainability and hence to reverse their decline in the Mediterranean. This study investigated consumer preferences and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for beef and lamb meat from silvopastoral systems associated to the provision of wildfire prevention service and explored two alternative ways of labelling this service. Through a choice experiment survey considering type of pasture, length of grazing period, production distance and price, we gathered data from 1209 meat consumers in two Spanish cities. We considered forest grazing with a target purpose as a level in the type of pasture attribute and it was presented either as grazing to prevent wildfires or grazing to reduce biomass in two alternative versions of the valuation survey. The random parameter logit model revealed the highest preferences and WTP towards nearby production distances, followed by targeted grazing and forest grazing, while the length of grazing period was less relevant. No significant differences in consumers WTP were found between conveying targeted grazing either as fire prevention or biomass reduction. Our findings also suggest that consumers' preferences varied with location, attitudes towards local food and environmental role of grazing and consumption habits. Knowledge gathered in our work contributes to understand consumers perceptions on the beneficial environmental impacts of meat production.

Evaluation of the physicochemical and microbial properties of lamb meat coated with Shirazi balangu seed mucilage-based edible coating containing cell-free supernatant of Levilactobacillus brevis G145

This study was aimed to design a novel edible coating based on Shirazi balangu seed mucilage (SBM) containing cell-free supernatant (CFS) of Levilactobacillus brevis G145 to improve the quality and shelf-life of lamb meat slices during cold storage. The CFS (1 and 2 %) was added to the SBM, and the obtained edible coating was used to coat the meat slices. The samples were stored at 4 °C for 1, 4, 7, and 10 days. In comparison to the control sample, the meat slices coated with SBM+2 %CFS had manifestly lower total viable count (6.62 vs. 13.10 log CFU/g), psychrotrophic count (3.47 vs. 8.80 log CFU/g), Escherichia coli count (0.80 vs. 1.54 log CFU/g), Staphylococcus aureus count (0.81 vs. 1.57 log CFU/g), fungi count (0.68 vs. 2.38 log CFU/g), pH (5.70 vs. 6.51), and peroxide value (4.89 vs. 10.80 meq O2/kg), and higher moisture content (70 vs. 60 %), hardness (67.80 vs. 57.60 N), and sensory properties by the end of storage period. The results of this study revealed that the SBM+CFS- based edible coating increased the shelf-life of lamb meat efficiently.