Do carcasses of lambs finished on commercial production systems meet market standards?

• Published in: Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 2018-04, Vol.90 (2), p.1671-1683
• Main Authors: Lôbo, Raimundo N B, Chaparro-Pinzón, Andrés, Melo Neto, Francisco V O, Lima, Lisiane D, Batista, Ana Sancha M, Lôbo, Ana Maria B O
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abattoirs - standards; Animal Husbandry - organization & administration; Animal Husbandry - standards; Animals; Body Composition; Body Weight; carcass morphology; carcass yields; fatty acid; Fatty Acids - analysis; Food Industry - standards; Meat - standards; MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES; sensory analysis; Sheep, Domestic - anatomy & histology; Sheep, Domestic - growth & development; slaughter weight
• ISSN: 0001-3765; 1678-2690; 1678-2690
• DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201820170418

This study aimed to characterize a commercial lamb finishing system using animals of undefined breed from production to slaughter by analyzing performance, carcass traits, yield of commercial cuts, and the quality and meat acceptance of different slaughter groups, as to evaluate whether this system provides the market with a standardized product. The lots were not homogeneous for yield of commercial cuts and performance and morphometric traits evaluated in vivo. The groups were heterogeneous to 75% of the 13 carcass traits evaluated, among them, hot and cold carcass weights, hot and cold carcass yields, carcass grade finishing and biological yield. There was also no uniformity for the proportion of non-carcass components, morphometry of carcass, visual appraisals, and loin traits. On the other hand, homogeneity was achieved in physico-chemical and sensory traits, except for hardness and proportion of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. We conclude that the commercial finishing system with the use of undefined crossbred lambs does not produce carcass and cuts standardized to the market.