Sensory quality of lamb following long-term frozen storage.

Abstract The study analysed the effect of frozen storage duration (FSD) on lamb sensory quality. Trained panel evaluated Longissimus lumborum aged for 1 d in unfrozen carcass plus 3 d in modified atmosphere packaging on thawed (1, 9, 15 or 21 month FSD) or refrigerated (0 month FSD) meat. Consumer acceptability test was performed on leg chops ( Semimembranosus ) kept in the same conditions but those chops for the visual test were retail displayed up to 10 d from packaging. FSD differed on texture variables and fresh meat showed intermediate values among thawed meats for trained evaluators. Consumers gave the lowest acceptability to 21 months FSD and preferred 1 month FSD, being all meats ‘acceptable’. A third of the population scored fresh meat with the lowest acceptance after consumption, although its visual score remained ‘acceptable’ 3 d longer than most of thawed meats. As thawed and fresh meats were equally preferred at short display, consumer concerns about thawed meat might be reconsidered.