Lipid Oxidation and Colour Stability of Lamb and Yearling Meat (<i>Muscle longissimus lumborum</i>) from Sheep Supplemented with Camelina-Based Diets after Short-, Medium-, and Long-Term Storage

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of feeding pelleted diets containing camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz) hay (CAHP) or camelina meal (CAMP) as a supplement compared with a control pellet (CONP) diet, without vitamin E fortification. The fatty acid profile, retail colour, and lipid oxidative stability of lamb and yearling meat (m. longissimus lumborum) stored for short-, medium-, or long-periods (2 days (fresh), 45 days and 90 days) under chilled to semi-frozen conditions were determined. The CAMP diet altered key fatty acids (p p p < 0.05) colour and lipid oxidative stability of meat. These results emphasise the importance of vitamin E concentration in meat stored for extended periods under semi-frozen conditions to maintain desirable meat colour during retail display, and to avoid off-flavour development of the cooked meat.

Keywords

• feeding systems
• diets
• sheep
• meat preservation
• meat quality
• antioxidant action