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Updated: May 27, 2026

Exploring the Longissimus Muscle: Unraveling its Correlation with Meat Quality in Bos indicus and Crossbred Bulls
Published on: July 12, 2024
A note on the muscle, fat and bone contents of Portuguese light lamb carcasses
1Estação Zootécnica Nacional-Fonte Boa, 2000 Vale de Santarém, Portugal.
Abstract:
A total of 72 lambs weighing between 10.1-13.0 kg (category C of the European Union grading for light lambs) from the Bragançano, Campaniço, Merino Branco, Merino Preto e Serra da Estrela breeds were studied. These breeds represent 66.8% of the Portuguese sheep population. Evaluations were made at the same subcutaneous fat contents in the carcass (88.5 g kg(-1)). Small, significant (p < 0.05) differences in the range of muscle and bone contents were found; the ranges being 30 and 25 g kg(-1), respectively. These variations led to significant diferences in the muscle:bone ratios, the highest value being 3.30 and the lowest 2.73. Significant differences were also found in the content of higher-priced joints (leg + chump, loin + ribs and anterior ribs) and in the proportion of kkcf (9 g kg(-1)). No significant differences were found in the content of total fat [subcutaneous, intermuscular and kidney knob and channel fat (kkcf)] and in the muscle: total fat ratios.
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