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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 50(6)

Measuring the shear force of lamb meat cooked from frozen samples: comparison of two laboratories

D. L. Hopkins A B F , E. S. Toohey C , R. D. Warner D , M. J. Kerr B and R. van de Ven E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia.

B Industry and Investment NSW (Primary Industries), Centre for Sheep Meat Development, PO Box 129, Cowra, NSW 2794, Australia.

C Industry and Investment NSW (Primary Industries), PO Box 865, Dubbo, NSW 2830, Australia.

D Future Farming Systems Research Division, Department of Primary Industries, Werribee, Vic. 3030, Australia.

E Industry and Investment NSW (Primary Industries), Orange Agricultural Institute, Forest Road, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia.

F Corresponding author. Email: david.hopkins@industry.nsw.gov.au

Animal Production Science 50(6) 382-385 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN09162
Submitted: 30 November 2009  Accepted: 19 January 2010   Published: 11 June 2010

Abstract

The tenderness of 160 samples of m. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LL) from 40 sheep carcasses was measured at two laboratories, 80 samples per laboratory, with two ageing times (0 and 5 days). The samples were all cooked from frozen and then measured on the same type of machine, a Lloyd Texture analyser with a Warner–Bratzler-type shearing blade attached to give a shear force value for each sample. Shear force results were natural log-transformed and the analysis showed that there was a significant (P < 0.001) effect of ageing on shear force and a significant (P = 0.01) difference between the laboratories. Thus, on equivalent samples, Laboratory B produced shear force results 0.78 times those for Laboratory A. There was no significant (P > 0.05) effect of ageing on cooking loss, but there was a significant (P < 0.05) difference between the laboratories. On equivalent samples, Laboratory B produced lower cooking loss results (expressed as a percentage), on average by 3.1%, than did Laboratory A. When cooking loss was included in the model for shear force, it was significant (P < 0.001), and its inclusion reduced the significance (P = 0.04) of the difference between laboratories. Thus, part of the differences between the two laboratories for shear force could be explained by the difference in the cooking loss at the two laboratories. As cooking loss increased, shear force increased.


Acknowledgements

The CRC for Sheep Industry Innovation is supported by the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Program, Australian Wool Innovation Ltd and Meat & Livestock Australia. Considerable staff and resources are also provided by several parties: NSW I&I, University of New England, DPI Victoria, SARDI and the DAFWA. The authors also acknowledge the contribution of staff employed by NSW Industry & Investment and DPI Victoria in the conduct of this study.


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