The effects of age, sex, and hot carcass weight on cooked lamb flavor and off-flavor in four muscle cuts

Abstract The present study used 48 lambs originating from three different locations in the Western United States (16 lambs per location; 8 ewes and 8 wethers per location). Each consisting of similar breed composition (Suffolk cross) that were selected to represent weight by age at harvest treatments: light weight carcasses at 5 mo (LW5, 31.81 ± 1.88 kg), light weight carcasses at 12 mo (LW12, 35.09 ± 4.45 kg), heavy weight carcasses at 12 mo (HW12, 57.89 ± 4.70 kg) with different carcass weight compositions. Older heavy weight lambs (HW12) had greater (P ≤ 0.01) hot carcass weight, ribeye area, backfat and body wall thickness, and yield grade compared with light weight lamb carcasses (LW5 and LW12). The longissimus thoracis longissimus thoracis (LT) from older lamb carcasses (LW12 and HW12) had a greater (P ≤ 0.01) total lipid percentage compared with younger lamb carcasses (LW5). Across harvest weight and age treatments, wether carcasses had greater (P ≤ 0.05) total lipid percentage compared with ewe carcasses. Slice shear force values were greater (P ≤ 0.01) for both the LT and semimembranosus from older lambs (LW12 and HW12) compared with LW5 lambs, with no differences between ewes and wethers. Lamb flavor intensity was greater (P ≤ 0.05) for the LT of LW12 lambs and tended (P = 0.08) to be greater for HW12 lambs, compared with the LT from LW5 lambs. The off-flavor intensity of the LT was greater (P ≤ 0.01) for older lambs (LW12 and HW12) compared with LW5 lambs. Interestingly, the lamb flavor and off-flavor intensity scores of the ground shoulder exhibited a treatment × sex interaction. Lamb flavor intensity of LW12 lamb was greater (P ≤ 0.05) from ewes compared with wethers, whereas wethers had a greater (P ≤ 0.05) lamb flavor intensity compared with ewes for HW12 lambs, and LW12 ewe lambs had a greater (P ≤ 0.05) off-flavor intensity compared with all other treatment × sex treatment combinations. Overall, lambs in the present study possessed a mild lamb flavor, typically with greater lamb flavor and off-flavor intensities for older animals; while slice shear force and LT lipid percentage increased as animal age increased at the time of harvest.