THE EFFECTS OF ELECTRICAL STIMULATION AND HOT‐PROCESSING ON QUALITY, PALATABILITY, AND CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE OF LAMB¹

Abstract

A total of 500 lambs (159 rams, 165 ewes, and 176 wethers) sh to nine months of age and with slaughter weights between 41 and 77 kg were utilized. Electrical stimulation accelerated pstmortem PH (P<0.05). However, significant linear time trends were not observed with any treatment in the rwo muscles evaluated. Muscle temperature declined progressively as expected with all treatments and in all muscles. However, electrically stimulated, hot‐processed muscles cooled the most rapidly, due to the hot‐processing treatment, and had the lowest percentage transmission, while electrically stimulated muscles had the greatest amount of expressible juice (P<0.05). No effects on muscle color were observed (P>0.05). Electrical stimulation was clearly benejicial and hot‐processing was clearly detrimental to lambpalatability. The beneficial effects of electrical stimulation, however, were not effective in either preventing or offsetting the detrimental effects of hot‐processing. Moreover, electrical stimulation alone and in combination with hot‐processing produced only minor effects on consumer acceptance.