August 16, 2006

 

New Zealand's researchers find new ways to change meat flavour
 

 

New Zealand's scientists are working on ways to change the pastures animals are grazing on to see how it could lead to better meat and milk.

 

Palmerston North-based AgResearch senior scientist Geoff Lane said research has focused on where the flavours from a forage-based diet comes from, he said.

 

By tracing the source of the flavour compounds, scientists are beginning to understand how changes in pasture affect those compounds, Dr Lane said. 

 

So far, the research has been on lamb meat mainly, but the same processes of flavour formation can be found in dairy cows, Dr Lane said.

 

New Zealand pasture is high in proteins, enabling researchers to trace the link between the protein degradation processes in the rumen and the flavour compounds, Lane said.

 

The researchers noted that some overseas consumers are averse to "pastoral flavour".

 

Two key flavour compounds contributing to that appear to be skatole and indole, which are formed in the rumen when microbes ferment an amino acid called tryptophan, found abundantly in New Zealand's pasture.

 

One solution may involve feeding forages containing condensed tannin (CT), Massey University PhD student Nicola Schreurs, who has completed research work with AgResearch, said.

 

Through her research work, she has concluded that dietary CT can reduce the formation of indole and skatole in the rumen and this can alter the sheep meat flavour.

 

However, more research would be needed to see if a higher level of CTs in forage plants would be the ideal way for minimising pastural flavours.

 

Dr Lane said the overall aim is to provide a low cost, free range meat that can satisfy overseas markets.