Association of sire breeding values for lean meat yield and eating quality attributes on the sensory perception of Australian lamb

Australian producers can enhance animal performance and profitability by selecting for lean meat yield and eating quality attributes using Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs). However, the impact of selecting for these traits on the consumer-perceived eating quality of a large range of lamb cuts has not been explored. From 824 lambs, eight cuts (knuckle, leg, loin, outside, rack, rump, shoulder, topside) were collected, along with the loin and topside from an additional 2288 animals (n = 3119 animals). Samples were assessed by untrained consumers (n = 18,720) for tenderness, juiciness, flavour liking and overall liking. Selection for increased lean meat yield had mainly a negative impact on the eating quality of several cuts within the Terminal sire type. Selection for improved eating quality through increased loin intramuscular fat content (IMF) improved the eating quality of the loin, rack, outside and leg cuts, primarily within the Terminal sire type. Improving eating quality through selection for reduced shear force at five days ageing (SF5) also improved consumer sensory perception of all cuts except the knuckle and outside. The improvement in eating quality through selection for increased IMF and reduced SF5 was not fully accounted for by the phenotypic traits of loin chemical IMF and Warner-Bratzler shear force, suggesting that these breeding values are impacting eating quality through additional mechanisms. Simultaneous selection for improved lean meat yield and eating quality demonstrated minimal effects on consumer sensory scores, implying the Australian sheepmeat industry can produce high-quality, lean products to consistently meet consumer expectations.