ABSTRACT. Consumers today are increasingly more demanding regarding their food, seeking healthier and better quality products, and in this context animal nutrition plays a key role. The meat composition can be altered by animal feed itself, being that lipid profile may directly contribute to consumer health, reducing the predisposition of developing cardiovascular diseases, main cause of mortality in the world. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of dietary feed restriction in Santa Inês lambs on their intramuscular, intermuscular, and subcutaneous fat profile, fat profile of the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle, and the total meat lipids and cholesterol. Three groups of lambs were subjected to diets: without restriction (WR), and 30 and 60% feed restriction. Overall, stearic, palmitic, and oleic acids were the predominant and the lowest lipid and cholesterol levels were observed at the highest restriction level, presenting higher polyunsaturated:saturated (PUFA:SFA) and desirable (DFA) fatty acid ratios (p < 0.05). Lambs subjected to 60% dietary feed restriction had a better quality meat with lower lipid and cholesterol contents, and profile favorable for human health due the presence of unsaturated fatty acids, that is important parameter the market demands to meet the consumers’ expectations.

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as propriedades físico-química e sensorial da carne de cordeiros Santa Inês submetidos a restrições quantitativas de nutrientes. Vinte e quatro animais confinados receberam dietas com 30% e 60% de restrição alimentar e foram comparados ao grupo controle sem restrição alimentar (ad libitum). Após o abate, o músculo Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) foi coletado para avaliação, tendo sido a carne de cordeiro afetada pelas restrições alimentares (p < 0,05). O conteúdo lipídico diminuiu com o aumento da restrição, enquanto a resistência ao cisalhamento, a luminosidade (L*) e o índice de vermelho (a*) foram menores nos cordeiros tratados com 60% de restrição e houve variação significativa (p < 0,05) nas propriedades sensoriais de acordo com a dieta. Em razão do maior escore quanto ao aroma e à similaridade ao controle em relação ao sabor, à maciez e à avaliação global, o nível de restrição alimentar de 30% pode ser considerado uma alternativa econômica e eficiente para a manutenção da qualidade da carne de cordeiro.

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical and sensory properties of the meat of Santa Ines lambs subjected to quantitative nutrient restrictions. Twenty-four confined animals received diets with 30% and 60% feeding restriction levels, and were compared to a controlled group without feeding restrictions (ad libitum). After slaughter, the Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle was collected for the evaluation, being the lamb meat was affected by the feeding restrictions (p < 0.05). The lipid content decreased with the increased restriction, whereas the shear strength, the lightness (L*) and the red index (a*) were lower in lambs treated with the 60% restriction and there were significant variation (p < 0.05) in the sensory properties according to diet. Due to the greater score in relation to aroma and similarity to control with respect to flavor, tenderness and overall evaluation, the 30% feeding restriction level can be considered an economic and efficient alternative for the maintenance of quality in lamb meat.

A carne ovina é comercializada atualmente em sua quase totalidade na forma congelada, porém com a tendência atual de maior procura por produtos de conveniência, vislumbra-se a necessidade de o mercado começar a ofertar esta carne na forma de cortes refrigerados. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a estabilidade e segurança de lombo de cordeiro embalado a vácuo quando estocado sob refrigeração. A estabilidade foi avaliada por meio de análises físicas e químicas (oxidação lipídica, cor objetiva, valor de pH, composição centesimal, perda de água por cocção e textura instrumental), microbiológicas (contagem total de psicrotróficos anaeróbios, coliformes termotolerantes a 45°C, estafilococos coagulase positiva e presença de Salmonella) e sensorial (cor, aparência geral e aroma). A carne ovina apresentou-se estável durante o período de 28 dias com relação à maioria dos índices físicos e químicos avaliados e dentro dos padrões estabelecidos pela legislação brasileira para micro-organismos patogênicos. Durante o armazenamento, detectou-se um aumento elevado das contagens de micro-organismos psicrotróficos anaeróbios, atingindo valores da ordem de 10(7)UFC g-1 amostra já aos 14 dias, porém os consumidores não detectaram alterações sensoriais significativas durante todo o período. Conclui-se que a vida útil de lombo ovino armazenado a 4°C é de no mínimo 28 dias.

Lamb is commercialized today almost entirely in frozen form, but, considering the current trend to greater demand for convenience products, it becomes more evident the need of availability of chilled cuts of meat in the market. The objective of this study was to evaluate the stability and safety of lamb meat packed under vacuum when stored under refrigeration. The lamb meat samples were packed in high barrier multilayer plastic films and stored under refrigeration (4±1°C). The stability was evaluated by means of physical and chemical analysis (lipid oxidation, objective color, pH value, chemical composition, cooking losses and instrumental texture), microbiological analysis (total count of psychrotrophic anaerobic, coliform count at 45°C, coagulase-positive staphylococci and the presence of Salmonella) and sensory analysis (color, flavor and overall appearance). The vacuum packed lamb meat remained stable as to most physical and chemical indexes and microbiological indexes showed good stability throughout the 28 days of storage according to Brazilian legislation standards to pathogenic microorganisms. In relation to the stability evaluation of chilled sheep loin, it was detected a high increase of counts for psychrotrophic anaerobic microorganisms, reaching around 10(7)CFU g-1 sample at 14 days storage, but the pannelists did not detect significant sensory changes during all the period. It is concluded that the shelf life of sheep loin stored at 4°C, is at least, 28 days.