Lamb and Sheep Meat Eating Quality — Industry and Scientific Issues and the Need for Integrated Research

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture
Special Issue Volume 45 Number 5

Edited by: BC Russell   G McAlister   IS Ross   DW Pethick   Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING 2005

Paperback - Code: EA45/5 - AU $75.00

Description  | Related Categories Description This special issue of Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture is dedicated to the Meat and Livestock Australia Lamb and Sheep Meat Eating Quality Program, an integrated research program aimed at understanding the critical control points which determine the consumer defined eating quality of Australian lamb and sheep meat. The Australian Lamb and Sheep meat Industry has placed a high priority on investigation of methods to consistently deliver lamb, hogget and mutton products of high eating quality to consumers through the Sheep Industry Strategic Plan. There are a number of imperatives driving the need for clear definition and improvement of eating quality in lamb and sheep meat. These are: (i) decreased consumption of lamb and mutton within the Australian domestic market, (ii) competition from other protein and food sources, (iii) indications from recent research that one measure of eating quality (i.e. Warner-Braztler tenderness) is significantly variable for lamb loins, (iv) increased consumer expectations of premium quality and value for money, (v) further pressure on lamb sales through implementation of quality assurance systems such as the Meat Standards Australia, (vi) industry concern about mutton substitution for lamb, and (vii) an opportunity and a desire within the sheep industry to add value to hogget and mutton products. One mechanism available to the lamb and sheep meat industry to regain its competitive advantage over other products is the implementation of eating quality assurance schemes. Such schemes have two main objectives: (i) to describe and guarantee to consumers the eating quality of lamb and other sheep meat products, and (ii) to enable continuous improvement of product quality by all sectors of the industry, with appropriate feedback throughout. There are few products that consumers can buy from supermarkets and other retail outlets that are not of consistent and predictable quality or that come without a guarantee of customer satisfaction. However, lamb is one such product. The research papers in this Special Edition describe the research that has been undertaken to define the critical control points for the eating quality of lamb and sheep meats. View the Table of Contents Visit the Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture home page See other special issues of Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture Related Categories Landlinks : Livestock - Sheep