Effects of feeding almond hulls to light lambs on meat quality and fatty acid profile

Almond hulls (AH) are the most abundant by-product of almond production. Although AH are frequently fed to dairy cows, information on their use in lambs diet is limited and therefore the aim of this study was to analyze the effects of including increasing amounts of AH in the concentrate (0, 6 and 12%) of light lambs on carcass and meat quality parameters. Thirty Manchega lambs (15 males and 15 females) were distributed into 3 homogeneous groups according to their body weight (BW) and sex, and each group received one of the experimental concentrates and barley straw ad libitum. Lambs were slaughtered after 47 days of fattening at about 23 kg of BW. Including AH in the concentrate did not affected (P ≥ 0.175) either BW at slaughter or hot and cold carcass weights. Meat pH and chemical composition were unaffected (P ≥ 0.052) by the concentrate, but the meat of lambs fed AH6 and AH12 had greater proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) than that of control lambs, indicating a healthier fatty acid profile for humans. The meat of AH12-fed lambs had greater concentrations of TBARS after 6 days of storage than that of AH6-fed lambs, possibly due to its higher PUFA content. In summary, AH can be included in the concentrate of fattening light lambs without negatively affecting growth performance. Almond hulls can improve meat lipid profile, but lipid oxidation can be increased.