Considering that the world-wide trend is to produce what is consumed and that the science of the meat looks for the highest degree of satisfaction of the consumer, the study approaches the characteristics that propitiate this satisfaction in the sheep meat.The use of the human senses in the perception of the characteristics that provoke the highest consumer acceptability determines the definition of "quality"; this indicates important sensorial characteristics of lamb: the succulence (water holding capacity), colour, texture (tenderness), odour and flavour. These characteristics vary in accordance with the species, race, age, sex, feeding, handling after-mortem and the conditions and duration of the conservation of the product. Despite that the majority of research relates these characteristics, direct or indirectly, with the product after cocking, the producer, the industry and the segments of the chain must take into account that the acceptable sensorial properties are basic at the moment of selling and consumption. In the meat sector, all the chain segments are responsible and participate, direct or indirectly, in the maximum satisfaction of the consumer, either through the product attributes or through its price. Thus, to get a quality product, the improvement of the production, industrialization and commercialization processes could be consolidated if there would be techniques, clear and practical; to describe the characters related to the quality of the meat, which could be measured in the carcass and if these techniques would have some biological relation with measurements taken in the alive animal. The meat quality is also related with the relation muscle: fat and with the composition and biological value of these compounds. However, it is not enough to study the meat as food, it is important to have in mind that the goal is the consumer and that he is not always educated in an adequate way to appreciate the sensorial characteristics of the product. To measure the sensorial meat characteristics, or the attributes of this food that are possible to detect and to evaluate by human senses, we have the sensorial analysis techniques. For all of that, it is necessary not only to reach the "higher possible satisfaction of the consumer" through the most appreciated characteristics in the product, but also it is necessary that the consumer should be better educated in the perception and valorization of these characteristics.
consumer; colour; flavour; texture
