Influence of breed and feeding on the main quality characteristics of sheep carcass and meat: A review

Abstract

This paper reviews two factors (breed and feed) affecting the carcass and meat quality of sheep. The quality of livestock products has acquired greater importance from the distinct perspectives of the different participants in the agricultural food chain. Consumers, producers and the industry give different levels of importance to the parameters of meat and carcass quality. Nevertheless, all the participants in the meat production chain must ensure quality to improve their competitiveness. The quality of the carcass and meat can be influenced by different factors such as breed and type of feed. The breed can influence weight, yields, and the conformation of the carcass, among other variables, as well as the pH level and the fatty acid composition of the meat, whereas the feed mainly affects carcass conformation and several physicochemical and organoleptic parameters of meat quality such as proximal composition, the fatty acid profile, tenderness and color. Consequently, the effects of breed and feed type should be considered to obtain a quality product that satisfies consumer demand.

Effects of feeding ground versus pelleted total mixed ration on digestion, rumen function and milk production performance of dairy cows

“…Nagalakshmi and Reddy () showed higher milk production and feed cost per kg FCM in buffaloes when they were fed PTMR (cotton stalks based), compared to nonpelleted diets. In this study, the PTMR‐fed cows had increased DMI compared to the GTMR‐fed cows, and it resulted in a higher ADG, which was consistent with a report that feeding PTMR mainly affected carcass conformation and several physicochemical parameters, for example fatty acids profile, tenderness and colour of meat quality, of sheep (Ramírez‐Retamal and Morales ).…”

Ruminant meat flavor influenced by different factors with special reference to fatty acids

“… [ 32 , 35 , 91 , 92 ] Feed Feed has a vital role in affecting physicochemical as well as the organoleptic properties of meat that alternatively affects the quality characteristics [ 93 – 95 ] Sex of animal Male has thicker subcutaneous fat and more marbling than females. That’s why male presented better quality (flavor) of meat than females [ 96 ] Breed of animal Breed affects fifty-four flavoring compounds of which 75% were Maillard’s reaction products, The IMF content in different breeds of cattle varied from 0.99 to 2.72% [ 10 , 97 , 98 ] Genetic makeup The minor flavor difference among breeds correlated moderately with the marbling factor and is considered to be heritable trait as well [ 38 , 99 ] Age of animal Age affects the solubility of intramuscular collagen and hence increases flavor intensity. Aged animals have higher straight chain fatty acids.…”

Use of apple pomace in animal feed as an antioxidant of meat

“…Physical weakening of structures in the meat, cellular and sub-cellular damage, the release of lysosomes and other proteases, and an increase in protease activity, as well as the muscle protein denaturation at elevated temperatures and low pH, could account for the tenderness of meat. Shear force values of lamb are between 1.84 to 5.0 kg on concentrate, but shear force can go up to 8.7 kg if sheep are on grasslands (Ramirez-Retamal & Morales, 2014). Clelland et al (2018) carried out research with 377 purebred Texel, males and females, and observed shear force values between 2.82 and 3.73 kg, whereas Monteschio et al 2018reported a mean of shear value of 3.65 kg for wethers of similar weight (40 kg) to those used in the present study.…”