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Differentiating Lamb Flavor
Since we are expecting consumers to pay more for lamb, the outstanding flavor of lamb must be consistent and/or improved allowing for lamb consumers to be continually satisfied. The importance of lamb flavor in the marketplace is underscored by the fact that consumers’ flavor preferences are reflected in their lamb purchase decisions. The most recent National Lamb Quality Audit (NLQA) data (Hoffman, 2015) identified eating satisfaction at the most prominent factor defining lamb quality, and eating satisfaction was most commonly defined as lamb flavor and/or taste. Additionally, 71.7% of the purchasers of U.S. lamb surveyed in the NLQA indicated that they were willing to pay a premium for guaranteed eating satisfaction, and they also indicated, on average, that they were willing to pay an 18.6% premium for this guarantee. This information serves as an indication that differentiating lamb on the basis of flavor may result in considerable premiums and allow for the American lamb industry to capitalize on opportunities with lamb flavor to increase demand. It has been well established that production practices and animal age influence lamb flavor by altering fat and lean composition. Specifically, as lambs mature, and even if lambs are grain-fed for extended/excessive periods of time, there is an increase in the concentration of branched-chain fatty acids resulting in undesirable, “mutton-like” off-flavors. Also, grass-finishing results in a higher proportion of long-chain, unsaturated fatty acids which are less stable and an increase in skatole potentially result in undesirable flavors. The NLQA data indicated that respondents closest to the consumer identified characterized American lamb as having “good flavor”, “milder flavor”, flavorful, and “different than grass flavor”. Responses regarding the image of imported lamb resulted in lamb described as “less flavorful”, “gamey flavor”, “different flavor”, “stronger flavor”, and “consistent flavor”.The NLQA data suggest that consumers desire for lamb flavor to be characterized for individual products allowing the purchaser to make a purchase on the basis of their flavor preference (e.g., bold, medium, or mild). Fat and lean compositional differences can be measured using volatile flavor compound analysis and olfactometry (electronic nose), and researchers focusing on the flavor or meat have been able to associate meat flavor attributes with these methods. The purpose of this research is to develop a proof of concept for using these technologies to differentiate lamb flavor and identify the opportunity to utilize these technologies at production speeds to segregate lambs into unique flavor groups.
Keywords: Lamb, Flavor