FATTY TISSUE IN LAMBS - A FACTOR FOR OBTAINING QUALITY LAMB MEAT

Abstract

Lamb meat is one of the frequently used food products in the daily human diet. It stands out with high nutritional and biological value and belongs to a group of products that is well balanced with all the necessary nutrients in the quantity and ratio that best suits the human organism. Consumption of lamb meat contributes to proper human nutrition and thereby maintaining a favorable health condition.The chemical composition of lamb shows great variability and depends on several factors, the most important of which are the breed, age of the animal, sex, method of breeding, diet, health condition of the animal, as well as the degree of fatness and the region of the carcass. The basic chemical meat composition , depending on race and production type, usually consists of 74.22 - 75.59% water, proteins are represented by 21.52 - 22.11%, and fats by 1.94% - 3.67 %, carbohydrates 0.5-1.5% and nitrogen extractives from 3.0-5.0%. Adipose tissue is the third component in representation of all substances in meat, while it is in second place from dry matter, right after proteins. Regarding the representation of fatty acids in adipose tissue, which in lamb is also called tallow, saturated fatty acids account for 46.881%, while unsaturated fatty acids are represented by 48.192% and 4.93% are unidentified fatty acids. The quality of the obtained meat as a final product has a great influence on the level and distribution of fat tissue in lambs, which is stored subcutaneously in the largest percentage, but also inter and intramuscular fat tissue, which gives the lamb meat its marbling. Adipose tissue in lambs differs from adipose tissues in other types of animals, in relation to the content and quantity of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. It is especially important for the adipose tissue in the lamb that it is a source of essential fatty acids.Lamb also serves as a solvent for fat-soluble vitamins, which contribute to enriching the biological value of the meat. In order to obtain high-quality lamb meat with a pronounced aroma, deliciousness, tenderness and juiciness, i.e. attractiveness for the final consumer, it is necessary that the deposition of fatty substances in the lamb be moderate and well balanced as a result of a good breeding process of the lamb. The amount of subcutaneous and intramuscular fat directly depends on the race, that is, the genetic predisposition of the lamb. The management of the nutrition of the lambs through the application of nutritionally balanced diets with adequate protein and energy content has a direct impact on the development of the lamb and thus obtaining quality meat, i.e. a lamb product with a high overall quality and a higher market value.