A supply chain approach to improving the shelf life of lamb meat; vitamin E concentration, electrical stimulation, ageing period and packaging system

• Published in: Meat science Vol. 139; pp. 65 - 73
• Main Authors: Jose, Cameron G., Jacob, Robin H., Pethick, David W., Gardner, Graham E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2018
• Subjects: Aging; Animal Feed - analysis; Animals; Color; Colour stability; Diet - veterinary; Electric Stimulation; Electrical stimulation; Food Handling - methods; Food Packaging - methods; Food Storage; Lamb; Male; Packaging; Red Meat; Sheep; Vitamin E; Vitamin E - administration & dosage; Aging; Electrical stimulation; Packaging; Colour stability; Vitamin E; Lamb
• ISSN: 0309-1740; 1873-4138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.01.005

This study investigated the effects of vitamin E, electrical stimulation, aging and packaging system on the colour stability of lamb meat. Eighty crossbred wether lambs, 6–8months old were fed on either vitamin E or control pelleted diet for 31days prior to slaughter. Half of the carcases from each group were electrically stimulated before being split longitudinally into 2. Each side was randomly allocated 1 of the 4 aging periods (5days fresh, 10, 20 and 30days CO2). Muscle samples were set for retail display, after the respective aging period, colour was measured over 96h. Supplementing vitamin E nutritionally is likely to lengthen the shelf life of lamb products aged longer than 10days. Muscle vitamin E concentrations >3.0mg/kg are required to increase the shelf life of lamb cuts aged for up to 30days to 60h. Medium voltage electrical stimulation did not have a detrimental effect on the display life of aged lamb meat.