Experiment 4
Carcasses measured in this experiment had a mean (S.D.) hot carcass weight of 23.4 (2.5)
kg and GR of 12.7 (2.7) mm. The lambs were 8 months old at slaughter. Significant correlation
coefficients for chromameter meat colour values (L*, a*, b*) measured at the
three sites (LL-longissimus muscle; D-diaphragm; EA-Obliquus externus abdominis
muscle) are shown in Table 5.
484 D. L. Hopkins, N. hf. Fogarty
TABLE 5
Mean (SD.) Chromameter Meat Colour Values (L*, a*, b*) Measured on the Carcass at Three Sites
(LL--longissimus muscle; D--diaphragm; EA-Obliquus externus abdominis muscle) and Significant
Correlation Coefficients
Mean (S.D.) LL D EA
LL a*
b*
L*
D a*
b*
L*
EA a*
b*
L*
19.3 (2.1)
8.4 (1.1)
37.7 (2.0)
21.3 (1.1)
7.6 (1.3)
38.3 (2.1)
16.5 (1.5)
7.5 (1.4)
40.1 (2.3)
a* b* L* a* a* b*
0.80***
0.45** 0.58***
0.79***
-0.40*** 0.50***
0.51***
0.24* -0.24*
***p < 0.001; *p c 0.05.
Mean (SD.) pH of the LL was 5.67 (0.14) (range 5.50 to 6.45 with 6 samples > 5.80)
at an average temperature of 5°C. For L* values measured on the LL only 2 samples
had an L* value less than 34, but 46 of the a* measurements at the site had values above
19.
There were significant correlations between some of the measures within each muscle,
but there was little association between L*, a* and b* values measured at the different
sites on the carcass (Table 5). L* values at the LL and EA sites were moderately correlated.
The a* and b* values were strongly correlated within each muscle. There was a
moderate correlation between L* and b* for the LL and EA muscles, but there was no
consistent correlation across sites for L* and a*. There were significant (p < 0.05) negative
correlations between pH and colour for the LL
values = -0.36).