The influence of lamb chronological age, slaughter weight, and gender. Flavor and texture profiles

A sample of 90 boneless shoulder roasts representative of the Canadian mark et lamb population was evaluated for flavor and texture using the profiling approach. Results revealed the following findings: (1) wether lambs had a less appropriate, well balanced, well blended flavor than both ram and ewe lambs; (2) the overall texture of lamb deteriorated progressively with adva ncing age; (3) the flavor of lambs in age group 2 (6-9 months) was more app ropriate, well balanced, and well blended than that of older and younger la mbs, (age group I and 4: 3-6 and 12-15 months); (4) the overall texture of lamb improved progressively as slaughter weight increased; (5) lambs weighi ng over 50 kg at the time of slaughter had a more appropriate, well balance d, and well blended texture than lighter weight lambs; and (6) increasing s laughter weight produced beneficial effects in components of flavor, despit e the fact differences in flavor amplitude attributable to slaughter weight and a significant trend in overall flavor with increasing slaughter weight were not detected. (C) 1999 Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technol ogy. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.