Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production.
1989, 49: 137-142
Frozen loins with ultimate pH values between 5.7 and 6.7 were obtained
from lambs which had received multiple stresses. Loins were cut into
chops and objective colour measurements obtained from the surface of the
chops while frozen and after overnight thawing in either air or a CO2
atmosphere. With frozen chops objective colour measurements showed no
change with pH. The thawed chops were darker in colour, but redder than
frozen chops. For thawed chops, L, a, b values and calculated values of
colour saturation and oxymyoglobin decreased as pH increased. Air-
thawed chops tended to show greater decreases than chops thawed under
carbon dioxide.
The percentage drip lost on thawing decreased with increasing pH and was
on average greater in CO2 thawed chops than air thawed. The water
holding capacity of the thawed chops increased as the pH increased,
regardless of thawing method.
The pH of chops decreased on thawing by 0.1 to 0.4, and the decrease was
greater in the chops of high ultimate pH.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
Lamb; frozen; thawing; pH; CO2; colour; drip loss
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Last Updated 18-03-1997
