Given the lack of data that relates consumer acceptance of lamb colour to instrument measures a study was undertaken to establish the acceptability thresholds for fresh and displayed meat. Consumers ...(
n
=
541) were asked to score 20 samples of lamb loin (
m.
longissimus thoracis et lumborum; LL) on an ordinal scale of 1 (very acceptable) to 5 (very unacceptable). A sample was considered acceptable by a consumer if it scored three or less. Ten samples were used for testing consumer response to fresh colour and 10 to test consumer response to colour during display of up to 4
days. The colour of fresh meat was measured using a Minolta chromameter with a closed cone and a Hunter Lab Miniscan was used for measuring meat on display. For fresh meat when the
a
∗ (redness) and
L
∗ (lightness) values are equal to or exceed 9.5 and 34, respectively, on average consumers will consider the meat colour acceptable. However
a
∗ and
L
∗ values must be much higher (14.5 and 44, respectively) to have 95% confidence that a randomly selected consumer will consider a sample acceptable. For aged meat, when the wavelength ratio (630/580
nm) and the
a
∗ values are equal to or greater than 3.3 and 14.8, respectively, on average consumers will consider the meat acceptable. These thresholds need to be increased to 6.8 for ratio (630/580
nm) and 21.7 for
a
∗ to be 95% confident that a randomly selected consumer will consider a sample acceptable.
Subtle breed differences exist for meat quality traits and the Merino does stand out, although many comparisons are confounded by production site or lack of processing intervention. Despite this, the ...Merino does seem to have a propensity to produce meat with a higher pH and reduced colour stability under extended ageing. Use of the Merino in a crossbreeding system not only provides benefits from hybrid vigour, but also overcomes the meat quality constraints of pure Merinos. Genetic evaluation for lamb production has enabled impressive genetic gains, but an overemphasis on lean meat production has had to be addressed to counter adverse effects on meat quality traits like eating quality. In this regard, the development of genomic selection has provided a methodology for accurate prediction of genetic merit and applying balanced breeding objectives. The potential for negative meat quality effects has stemmed adoption of non-castration approaches, but ensuring that lamb is young when slaughtered does provide brand integrity.
•Subtle breed differences exist for meat quality traits in sheep.•If lean meat yield is a focus potential negative effects on meat quality can occur.•Non-castration approaches can lead to adverse effects on meat quality.•Ensuring that lamb is young when slaughtered does provide brand integrity.•Integration of breeding strategies and market focus can produce high quality meat.
Genetic parameters were estimated for a range of meat quality traits recorded on Australian lamb meat. Data were collected from Merino and crossbred progeny of Merino, terminal and maternal meat ...breed sires of the Information Nucleus programme. Lambs born between 2007 and 2010 (n=8968) were slaughtered, these being the progeny of 372 sires and 5309 dams. Meat quality traits were found generally to be of moderate heritability (estimates between 0.15 and 0.30 for measures of meat tenderness, meat colour, polyunsaturated fat content, mineral content and muscle oxidative capacity), with notable exceptions of intramuscular fat (0.48), ultimate pH (0.08) and fresh meat colour a* (0.08) and b* (0.10) values. Genetic correlations between hot carcass weight and the meat quality traits were low. The genetic correlation between intramuscular fat and shear force was high (−0.62). Several measures of meat quality (fresh meat redness, retail meat redness, retail oxy/met value and iron content) appear to have potential for inclusion in meat sheep breeding objectives.
•Genetic parameters were estimated among a range of meat quality traits in lamb meat.•Moderate heritability of many traits showed that they can be altered via selection.•Selection to improve IMF or tenderness associated with reduced meat colour stability•Meat redness and iron content could possibly be included in sheep breeding programmes.
Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by
Liberibacter asiaticus, is currently the most destructive disease of citrus and threatens production in all affected areas. There is no cure. Benign
strain EB92-1 ...provided good control of Pierce's disease of grapevine by inducing host resistance; therefore, we evaluated the strain for the biological control of HLB in citrus. Treatment was by injection into the trunk of the trees. Strain EB92-1 was shown to colonize citrus and provided control of HLB by reducing both the incidence of symptomatic trees and the percentage of trees with severe symptoms in three separate trials. All trees were positive by quantitative PCR (qPCR) for
Liberibacter asiaticus at the start of the trials, and treatment did not eliminate the bacterium. In a trial of asymptomatic mature trees, a single treatment with EB92-1 reduced the incidence of trees with symptoms through 18 months after treatment and reduced the incidence of trees with severe symptoms through 3 years. In mature trees that had 60% incidence of mild HLB symptoms at trial initiation, percentage of trees with symptoms and trees with severe symptoms continued to develop in both the untreated and in the EB92-1-treated trees for 12 months. However, retreatment at 9 and 20 months prevented the development of additional severe symptoms in the EB92-1-treated trees throughout the remainder of the 5-year trial. In 2-year-old trees, incidence of trees with HLB symptoms was higher in the untreated trees than in the treated trees throughout the 6 years of the trial, reaching 90% in the untreated versus 50% in the treated. After 6 years, severity of symptoms was much lower in the EB92-1-treated trees, only 3% of the treated trees had become unproductive compared with 18% of the untreated. In 2020, the reduction in HLB severity resulted in approximately twice as much yield in the treated trees as in these untreated 8-year-old trees.
strain EB92-1 proved to be efficacious for the control of HLB symptoms in both mature trees and newly planted young trees, but trees may need to be retreated yearly for at least the first 2 to 3 years.
The longissmus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles from 391 lamb carcasses, derived from various breed types, were used to investigate the effect of animal/muscle factors, packaging type ...over-wrap (OW) or high oxygen modified atmosphere packaging (MAPO2) and duration of display on redness of meat during simulated retail display. Using statistical models the time required (in days) for redness to reach a threshold value of 3.5 (below this is unacceptable) was predicted. High levels of iron in the SM, but not LL, reduced the time for redness to reach 3.5 by 2–2.6days in MAPO2 and 0.5–0.8days in OW. The greater the proportion of Merino breed type, the shorter was the time for redness to reach the value of 3.5, an effect consistent across muscles and packaging types. In summary, breed type, packaging format, muscle and muscle iron levels had a significant impact on colour stability of sheep meat in oxygen-available packaging systems.
•Sheep with higher proportion of Merino breed had lower colour stability.•Iron concentration was the most important covariate for colour stability.•High muscle iron concentration reduced retail shelf-life by ~2.3days in MAPO2 and by ~0.75days in over-wrap.•The effect of breed type was independent of packaging and iron concentration.
Unsubstantiated penicillin-allergy labels are common in surgical patients, and can lead to significant harm through avoidance of best first-line prophylaxis of surgical site infections and increased ...infection with resistant bacterial strains. Up to 98% of penicillin-allergy labels are incorrect when tested. Because of the scarcity of trained allergists in all healthcare systems, only a minority of surgical patients have the opportunity to undergo testing and de-labelling before surgery. Testing pathways can be modified and shortened in selected patients. A variety of healthcare professionals can, with appropriate training and in collaboration with allergists, provide testing for selected patients. We review how patients might be assessed, the appropriate testing strategies that can be used, and the minimum standards of safe testing.
Soil water repellency is commonly found in piñon (Pinus spp.)–juniper (Juniperus spp.) (P-J) woodlands and may limit site recovery after a fire. Understanding the extent of this problem and the ...impact it has on vegetation recovery will help guide land managers in conducting their restoration efforts. In this study, we (i) examined the spatial distribution and severity of post-fire soil water repellency in a burned P-J woodland, (ii) related ecohydrologic properties to pre-fire tree canopy cover and post-fire vegetation establishment, and (iii) demonstrated a geographic information system (GIS)-based approach to extrapolate observed patterns to the fire boundary scale. During a 2-yr period, several soil and vegetative measurements were performed along radial line transects extending from the trunk of burned Utah juniper Juniperus osteosperma (Torr.) Little trees to twice the canopy radius. Results indicate that water repellency patterns are highly correlated with pre-fire tree canopy cover. Critical water repellency extended from the base of the tree to just beyond the canopy edge, while subcritical water repellency extended half a canopy radius past the edge of the critical water repellency zone. At sites where critical water repellency was present, infiltration rates, soil moisture, and vegetation cover and density were significantly less than non-water-repellent sites. These variables were also reduced in soils with subcritical water repellency (albeit to a lesser extent). Results were exported into a GIS-based model and used in conjunction with remotely sensed imagery to estimate the spatial distribution of soil water repellency at the landscape scale.
Twenty-four entire male Kacang kid goats were fed diets containing 3% canola (n=12) or palm oil (n=12) supplements for 16weeks. The goats had an initial live weight of 14.2±1.46kg and were fed a ...mixed ration ad libitum (10.4MJ/ME and 14% crude protein). There was no difference in feedlot performance due to diet. Inclusion of canola oil reduced (P<0.05) kidney fat weight and increased (P<0.05) linolenic acid (18:3n−3) concentration in the blood plasma, m. longissimus lumborum (LL), liver, and kidney. The palm oil diet increased (P<0.05) myristic (14:0) and palmitic (16:0) acid content in the blood, but this did not alter these fatty acids in the LL muscle. Lipid oxidative substances in the liver and LL from palm oil fed kids were higher (P<0.05) than those from canola supplemented kids. The incorporation of canola oil into the goats' diet increased muscle omega-3 fatty acid content, but lipid oxidation was lowered in the blood and muscle LL.
► Canola oil increased the level of meat unsaturated fatty acids compared to palm oil. ► The canola oil treatment improved oxidative stability and reduced kidney fat. ► The canola oil increased muscle linolenic acid. ► Goat meat with high PUFA levels is more desirable for human health.
The current study examined the effect of supplementing lambs with algae. Forty, three month old lambs were allocated to receive a control ration based on oats and lupins (n=20) or the control ration ...with DHA-Gold™ algae (~2% of the ration, n=20). These lambs came from dams previously fed a ration based on either silage (high in omega-3) or oats and cottonseed meal (OCSM: high in omega-6) at joining (dam nutrition, DN). Lamb performance, carcase weight and GR fat content were not affected by treatment diet (control vs algae) or DN (silage vs OSCM). Health claimable omega-3 fatty acids (EPA+DHA) were significantly greater in the LL of lambs fed algae (125±6mg/100g meat) compared to those not fed algae (43±6mg/100g meat) and this effect was mediated by DN. Supplementing with algae high in DHA provides a means of improving an aspect of the health status of lamb meat.
•A DHA rich algae diet had no impact on growth, or carcase fatness of lambs.•DHA in the m. longissimus was significantly increased due to algae feeding.•Feeding DHA rich algae increased lipid oxidation.•Feeding DHA rich algae did not impact on meat colour stability.
This study examined the effect of palm, soybean or fish oils on the performance, muscle fatty acid composition and meat quality of goat kids. Twenty-four male Mahabadi kids (BW=19.4±1.2kg) were ...divided into three groups according to liveweight and randomly allocated to one of three diets. Animals were fed ad libitum for 84days. Different dietary fat sources had no effect on performance and/or carcass quality attributes. The soybean oil diet decreased 16:0 and 18:0 concentrations and increased 18:2 and 18:3 and the ratio of PUFA/SFA in the muscle compared with other treatments. Fish oil feeding increased 20:5 n-3 and 22:6 n-3 concentrations and decreased the ratio of n-6/n-3 in the muscle. The results demonstrate that the use of fish oil is a nutritional strategy to improve the health claimable long-chain omega-3 fatty acid content and n-6/n-3 ratio in goat meat without changing the sensory properties or colour of meat.
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