abstract
- Ninety commercial lamb carcasses were analysed according to the four different fat classes in the light lamb European classiffication system. Shoulder fat increased 3%, muscle decreased 2% and bone decreased 1% for each class increase. No signifficant differences were found among fat classes regarding pH, WHC, cooking losses, juiciness, myoglobin content, meat colour measured immediately after cutting (L*, a*, b*), odour intensity or flavour quality. Some differences were found in colour evolution through ageing. Shear force decreased and tenderness and flavour intensity increased with fat class but this effect was only signifficant in the leanest animals.