Researchers have gone directly to the punters, gaining 1100 responses from consumers on how they rate lamb in a bid to better deliver the fresh lamb cuts which shoppers want to buy.

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) meat scientist, David Hopkins, said research has shown that meat colour is a key prompt to consumer purchasing decisions and now this large-scale survey is indicating how consumers rank meat colour.

"We aim to deliver a robust tool linking consumer preferences to the scientific data we record to measure meat colour and colour stability in the laboratory," Dr Hopkins said.

"Meat stored under plastic wrap tends to ‘brown’ as it ages - the colour doesn’t affect the quality, it just makes it less appealing to consumers and these older cuts are often discounted at a huge loss to retailers - so there’s potential to save thousands of dollars.

"Once we confirm consumer thresholds and link them to colour values, which are measured precisely by machine, we aim to explore the heritability of colour stability - or how many offspring produce meat with the colour stability which the market will accept."

More than 500 consumers at a Canberra meat retailer and the Dubbo show took part in the survey which asked them to rate lamb loin cuts from fresh-cut to four days old, on a five-point scale.

The research is all part of the Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation (Sheep CRC) Information Nucleus (IN)  program which aims to map and boost the genetic clout of the sheep meat and wool industries.

Dr Hopkins said the Sheep CRC IN next generation meat project was also exploring nutritional and health benefits of lamb which could be boosted through genetic selection.

"Omega-3 fatty acids, iron and other trace elements which we know are beneficial to consumers are being measured," he said.

"We want to make sure lamb maintains its market position as a premium red meat product."

The project has also attracted international input in the form of Moroccan post-graduate student, Saousssan  Khliji, who has been funded by the European Union under the Agris Mundus program to complete her Master’s study with an internship with NSW DPI.

"It’s a reflection of the global scientific standing NSW DPI meat science has achieved - students come here with the knowledge that they will be better able to work in the industry anywhere in the world."

Sheep producers can contact David Hopkins at the Cowra Agricultural Research and Advisory Station, (02) 6349 9722.

Digital photographs available bernadette.york@dpi.nsw.gov.au

Further reading

Lamb marketing

Media contact: Bernadette York, NSW DPI (02) 6391 3936 or 0427 773 785