Effects of stoned olive pomace on carcass characteristics and meat quality of lambs

Thirty-six Merino-Kivircik crossbred male lambs were utilized to evaluate the influence of two levels of dried stoned olive pomace. Lambs were blocked by initial body weights (BW, 20.4 kg) and randomly distributed into three groups. While one group received commercial concentrates without olive pomace, the second and third groups received an experimental diet containing 10% olive pomace and 20% olive pomace, respectively. They were fed for 49 days. The animals' BW and feed consumption were recorded weekly and biweekly, respectively. The lambs were slaughtered at the end of the trial. The carcass cut weights were recorded and a sample of LD muscle was collected for fat content and composition. Overall, there were no differences in slaughter characteristics, carcass measurements, or cut weights among the treatments (P > 0.05). The fatty acids (FAs) profile of LD muscle showed that 20% olive pomace fed animals had lower pentadecanoic and erucic acids, while they had higher oleic acid content (P < 0.05). This represents a favorable change in regard to human dietary guidelines. Total saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated FAs were not affected by treatments. There were minor differences in organoleptic properties among the treatments (P > 0.05). Meat rich in oleic acid fared best with panelists, which was found in the 20% olive pomace fed lambs.