The objective of this study was analyze the colour, pH, weight loss by cooking (PPC) and shear force (FC) of the Longissimus dorsi (LD) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles of Santa Inês (SI x SI) and Texel x Santa Inês (T x SI) lambs, slaughtered at different live weights. Thirteen males and fourteen females were slaughtered at 15, 25, 35 and 45 of live weight. The carcasses were kept during twenty-four hours at 2ºC and during that time the pH was measured. A completely randomized design in a latin square (2x2x4) arrange for analyse of colour, PPC and FC was used. Split plot arranged was used for the pH values analysis. The decrease of pH of both muscles (LD and SM) was greater in the lighter animals. T x SI females meat showed higher pH values than SI x SI males lambs. The lightness values increased and darkness was lower when the slaughter weight increased. The muscles (LD and SM) of the SI x SI males were reader and darker. The PPC was lower in the heaviest animals and in the LD muscle it was lower in the female lambs. Male lambs muscles lost more water were harder than of the females muscles. The decrease of the FC was related to the increase in the slaughtering weight, and this effect was higher in the LD muscle of T x SI animals and in the SM muscle of the SI x SI animals.
ovine; muscle; colour; lightness; cooking; tenderness; pH
