Relationship between slaughtering age, nutritional and organoleptic properties of Altamurana lamb meat

Relationship between age at slaughter (40 vs. 75 days), nutritional and organoleptic properties were investigated on two different commercial cuts (loin and leg) from 24 Altamurana lambs. Meat chemical composition, fatty acid profile, color parameters, Warner–Bratzler share force (WBSF), Texture profile analysis (TPA) and sensory analysis were estimated. Significant differences were observed due to slaughtering age on meat chemical composition, in particular, meat from lambs slaughtered at 75 days of age showed higher fat percentage than meat from the youngest lambs. Meat from lambs slaughtered at 40 days of age was characterized by a better fatty acid profile, in terms of lower content of saturated fatty acids (SFA), higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and lower ω6/ω3 ratio, atherogenic and thrombogenic indices. Leg cut showed higher value of SFA and lower percentage of ω6 compared to loin. WBSF value was affect by age at slaughter and commercial cut, particularly, meat from younger lambs showed the lowest value of WBSF, while, loin resulted more tender than leg. Results of the sensory analysis showed that meat from lambs slaughtered at 40 days was more tender and chewable but less juicy and fatty than meat from lambs slaughtered at 75 days. Significant correlations were found between some fatty acids and flavor, odor and tenderness sensory scores, highlighting that the knowledge of the relationship between the fatty acids profile and sensory attributes may be useful in lamb meat production.