Flavour differences in meat from lambs grazed on tropical legumes

SUMMARY Dorset Horn × Merino and Corriedale wether lambs grazed one of four tropical legume species or the grass Panicum maximum for up to 4 months in the immediate pre-slaughter period. A laboratory taste panel compared the flavour of the meat from legume-fed lambs with that from corresponding grass-fed lambs. Lamb meat from animals grazed for up to 15 weeks on Siratro ( Phaseolus atropurpureus ) was not significantly different from the control meat in any flavour property, while showing a slight but insignificantly greater degree of acceptability of flavour. The meat from lambs grazed for up to 6 weeks on Silverleaf desmodium ( Desmodium uncinatum ) showed no significant difference from the control meat in flavour properties except for a slightly greater intensity ( P < 0·05) of an uncharacterized aroma. The meat from lambs grazed on Dolichos axillaris for up to 4 months occasionally exhibited a characteristic and sometimes objectionable odour and flavour. However, this characteristic flavour had no significant influence on the acceptability of the meat. The meat from lambs grazed on Glycine wightii for up to 6 weeks exhibited a characteristic and objectionable odour and flavour ( P < 0·001). After 4 months of grazing the intensity of this flavour was considerably reduced. A low intensity of this flavour was also found in a group grazed for 4 weeks in the previous year, indicating a variability in the tainting properties of this legume.