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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Carcass and meat quality of organic lambs compared with lambs reared under traditional and intensive production systems

Omur Kocak A , Bulent Ekiz A C , Hulya Yalcintan A , Akin Yakan B and Alper Yilmaz A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Istanbul University, Veterinary Faculty, Department of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Avcilar, Istanbul, Turkey.

B Mustafa Kemal University, Veterinary Faculty, Department of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Hatay, Turkey.

C Corresponding author. Email: bekiz@istanbul.edu.tr

Animal Production Science 56(1) 38-47 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN13555
Submitted: 27 December 2013  Accepted: 22 September 2014   Published: 15 January 2015

Abstract

The aim of the study was to compare the meat quality characteristics of male lambs reared under organic (n = 9), intensive (n = 10) and traditional (n = 10) production systems. The average daily gain of organic lambs (121.4 g) was lower than lambs of intensive (161 g) and traditional (157.8 g) systems. Production system had no significant effect on carcass weight and dressing percentage. Differences among production systems for meat pH, drip loss, cooking loss, shear force value and colour characteristics were not significant. Traditional lambs had a higher percentage of total polyunsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acid : saturated fatty acid ratio, whereas organic lambs had the highest percentage of total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and the lowest n-6 : n-3 ratio. In accordance with the meat fatty acid composition, meat from the organic and traditional systems used here was healthier than meat from intensive system. But the results of sensory assessment indicate that meat from traditional system was found more acceptable by panellists in terms of flavour intensity, flavour acceptability and overall acceptability when compared with that of organic meat.

Additional keywords: fatty acids, instrumental meat quality, sensory evaluation.


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