Macrominerals, trace elements and hem and non–hem iron status in muscle Longissimus dorsi, from five double purpose lambs breed reared on pasture system in Uruguay

Sheep meat production is facing new challenges, so a thorough knowledge of the attributes of lamb meat produced by different genotypes and under pasture conditions is necessary to characterise these systems, to valorise and differentiate the product from a quality approach and towards a more natural image, attributes that are increasingly taken into account by consumers. This study aimed to characterize the lamb meat nutritionally, coming from five genetic types, reared in a pastoral system, through the content of essential minerals, macro element, Ca, Mg, Na and K, trace elements as Se, Co, Zn, Cu, Mn, total iron (TFe), hem iron (HFe) and non–hem iron (NHFe) and B12 vitamin in the Longissimus dorsi muscle. The breeds, Corriedale, Merino Dohne, Highlander®, Corriedale Pro, and Australian Merino x Corriedale crossbreed; n=10, were studied. Merino Dohne breed has the highest calcium concentration (66.6 ± 6.3 mg·kg–1), Highlander® and Merino Dohne have a significantly (P