NUTRIENT CONTENT AND RETENTION IN SELECTED ROASTED CUTS FROM 3-MONTH-OLD RAM LAMBS

Values for proximate composition, cholesterol, 23 fatty acids, eight i norganic nutrients and six water-soluble vitamins were determined in t he separable lean of paired raw and roasted rib-loins and legs from 10 carcasses of 3-month-old ram lambs. Cooking losses (both evaporative and drip) were much lower in rib-loin, which underwent a quicker heati ng than leg. The percentage apparent retention was calculated for each nutrient. In general, nutrients susceptible to loss through drippings during cooking, i.e. minerals and water-soluble vitamins, were better retained in rib-loin than in leg. The reverse was true for several po lyunsaturated fatty acids, whose lower retention in rib-loin than in l eg was probably due to the former's higher heating rate. The contribut ion of roasted lamb to the nutrient requirements of the consumer was n oteworthy for oleic and linoleic acids, phosphorus, zinc and iron, vit amin B-12, niacin and riboflavin. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Scien ce Ltd. All rights reserved.