The effect of supplementation with expanded sunflower seed on carcass and meat quality of lambs raised on pasture.

The use of conventional concentrates in the supplementation of grass-based fed lambs may induce improvements in growth performance and/or carcass quality but may be disadvantageous in fatty acid profile of tissues, with a negative impact in some nutritional indexes. The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effects on growth performance, carcass and meat quality of using unprotected, unsaturated fat as a supplement for grass-fed based lambs. Twenty-four Merino Branco ram lambs raised on pasture, were supplemented with corn whole grain plus sunflower meal or corn whole grain plus expanded sunflower seed, from 20 to 30 kg live weight. The supplement had no effects on growth performance, carcass quality traits, or meat pH, colour estimates (L(∗), a(∗), b(∗)), water-holding capacity, shear force and sensorial attributes. However, lambs supplemented with expanded sunflower seed showed higher proportions of cis-9, trans-11 octadecadienoic acid and trans-vaccenic acid in intramuscular and subcutaneous fat, showing that the inclusion of unprotected lipids in lambs diet was effective in preventing the reduction of rumenic acid (C18:2 cis-9, trans-11) that occurs when conventional concentrates are used as a supplement.