Functional stability of frozen normal and high pH beef

The functional properties of whole, diced or minced high and normal pH beef were determined after 0, 1, 2, 3 and 7 month’s storage. There was no interaction between pH, degree of comminution and storage time for most of the attributes measured. Regardless of storage time or comminution method, high pH meat had significantly (P < 0.001) higher sarcoplasmic protein solubility, water holding capacity, cooked batter torsion stress and strain, yield and emulsion stability than normal pH meat. Normal pH meat had significantly (P < 0.01) higher myofibrillar protein solubility and hue angle than high pH meat. Water holding capacity significantly (P < 0.01) decreased and hue angle increased with the increase in the degree of comminution. Protein solubility in raw meat and the cooked batter stress, strain, yield and emulsion stability of both high and normal pH meat deteriorated with time. However, this deterioration was faster in the normal pH meat compared to high pH meat except for total and myofibrillar protein solubility. Within the parameters of the present study, it is concluded that frozen high pH meat possesses superior functional attributes compared to normal pH meat regardless of the degree of comminution or storage time.     

Physicochemical and sensory characteristics of restructured beef steak with added walnuts

The effects of different proportions (0, 5, 10, 15%) of added walnuts on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of restructured beef steak were evaluated. The addition of 10 and 15% walnut reduced (P<0.05) cooking loss. Increasing proportions of walnut in the beef steak increased (P<0.05) water binding and reduced (P<0.05) fat binding properties. The addition of walnut did not affect (P>0.05) textural properties in uncooked restructured beef steak, but in cooked products Kramer shear force and bind strength were reduced (P<0.05) when 10% or more of walnut was added. Product morphology characteristics suggest that walnut interferes with the formation of protein network structures. Restructured steaks made with added walnut presented acceptable sensory properties. Incorporation of nuts in meat products can be use to confer potential heart-healthy benefits (Spanish Patent Application 200300367).     

Relationship between lipid peroxidation and fat content in Japanese Black beef Longissimus muscle during storage

We examined the relationship of crude fat content to lipid peroxidation of beef during storage. Longissimus muscle samples (fat content; 6.5–39.4%) from 27 Japanese Black beef steers were stored for 1, 4, 7 and 10 days, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) were determined. TBARS values increased significantly (P<0.05), but LOOH did not change during the 10- day storage period. TBARS values were negatively correlated (P<0.05) with fat content in samples stored for 1, 4, 7 and 10 days. LOOH values, however, were not significantly correlated with fat content except on day 1. Phospholipid contents were correlated (P< 0.01) with LOOH values on each measurement day, but not significantly correlated with TBARS values except on day 1. These findings indicated that: (1) high-fat beef had high preservative properties, and that; (2) TBARS formation was correlated with LOOH derived from phospholipid oxidation in the initial period of storage, and was correlated directly with fat content in a later period.     

PACKAGING AND STORAGE EFFECTS ON THE FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF FROZEN VENISON

The functional stability of vacuum- and nonvacuum-packaged venison semimembranosus muscle was determined after 0, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9 months of frozen storage. Vacuum-packaged samples had higher emulsion stability, chroma, shear force values, cooked batter torsion stress, strain and tensile stretch, lower malondialdehyde (MDA) and lower hue angle compared with nonvacuum-packaged samples. The two packaging methods did not vary in the other functional attributes of venison measured. Total protein solubility, cooked batter torsion strain and tensile strength increased in the first month of storage and then decreased thereafter. Sarcoplasmic protein solubility increased ( P <  0.05) in the first 6 months and declined in the ninth month . Reactive sulphydryl contents ( P <  0.1) and moisture loss in raw ( P <  0.001) and in cooked venison ( P <  0.01) increased with storage time and peaked at 3 months and declined thereafter. MDA increased during the first 2 months, then declined and increased again at 9 months ( P <  0.001). The results of this study suggest that most of the changes in frozen venison manufacturing functionality took place within the first month of storage and this peak functionality was extended to 3 months when venison was vacuum-packaged.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The following are some of the practical applications of this research: (1) Frozen venison has better functional properties for manufacturing purposes compared with fresh unfrozen venison immediately postrigor. (2) This functionality tends to peak at 1 month of frozen storage, with longer storage up to 9 months having little or no further effect on the functionality. (3) The peak functionality can be extended to 3 months through vacuum packaging.     

Physico-chemical characteristics of M. Longissimus dorsi from three lines of free-range reared Iberian pigs slaughtered at 90 kg live-weight and commercial pigs: a comparative study

Longissimus dorsi muscles from three lines of Iberian pig and those from commercial pigs were analysed in order to evaluate their quality for fresh consumption. Iberian pigs were reared in a natural outdoor production system with access to grass, while m. Longissimus dorsi from commercial pigs were procured from a local slaughterhouse. Iberian pigs’ Longissimus dorsi showed a higher fat (P<0.05) and lower phospholipid contents (g PL/g fat; P<0.05) than Longissimus dorsi from commercial pigs. Iberian pigs’ Longissimus dorsi muscles had a higher content of haem iron (P<0.05) than those from commercial pigs and consequently m. Longissimus dorsi exhibited a redder colour (higher a*-value) that diverged less from the true red axis (lower hue value; P<0.05) than those from commercial pigs which resulted paler (higher L*-value; P<0.05). Total fat and neutral lipid fatty acid profiles showed higher percentages of palmitic, oleic, total saturated fatty acids (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) m. Longissimus dorsi of Iberian pigs than in the commercial ones (P<0.05). m. Longissimus dorsi from the commercial pigs contained higher proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids and a higher n-6/n-3 ratio value (P<0.05).     

Influence of outdoor rearing and indoor temperature on growth performance, carcass, adipose tissue and muscle traits in pigs, and on the technological and eating quality of dry-cured hams

The effects of restricted outdoor rearing during winter (W) or summer (S), and the influence of indoor ambient temperature [17 °C (I17) vs. 24 °C (I24), the latter being considered as control] on pig growth performance, carcass, muscular and adipose tissue traits, and technological and eating quality of dry-cured hams were evaluated. I17 pigs exhibited higher, whereas W had similar and S lower growth rates than the controls (P<0.001). Carcass traits were not different between groups, except in lower back fat weights of S and W pigs (P<0.01). Decrease in environmental temperature affected the fatty acid composition of the back fat leading to higher MUFA and lower SFA and PUFA contents (P<0.001) in I17 and W pigs, whereas S pigs exhibited higher PUFA levels (P<0.001) and fat firmness (P<0.01) than the controls. Rearing system did not significantly influence the intramuscular fat content of Semimembranosus (P=0.08), and had no effect on ultimate pH. In the Longissimus lumborum, percentage and relative area of R fibers increased in W pigs (P<0.05), but citrate synthase activity did not differ between groups. I17 and W hams exhibited higher processing yields of dry-cured hams than controls (P<0.05). Sensory analyses showed that pig rearing conditions influenced the product appearance, the I17 and W hams exhibiting lower homogeneity (P<0.01) and intensity (P<0.05) of colour, and higher marbling scores (P<0.01) than I24 hams, but had no influence on texture or flavour.     

Lipid Oxidation Potential of Beef, Chicken, and Pork

Beef and pork longissimus dorsi and semimembranosus muscles and chicken breast and thigh muscles were excised 24 hr postmortem from carcasses of marketweight grain-finished feedlot beef cattle, marke-tweight hogs on a typical finishing diet, and broilers on a commercial grain diet. Muscle samples were immediately ground and formed into patties and stored raw or after cooking, at 4°C (cooked) or ?20°C (raw and cooked). TBA values (on sample weight basis) of frozen raw samples were higher for beef and pork than for chicken, as was heme iron content. However, TBA values of cooked samples were highest for chicken thigh muscles, which contained the most polyunsaturated fatty acids, at all storage temperatures.     

Effect of season on color of Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) beef

A total of 1278 head of Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) slaughtered over four seasons were used to evaluate the effect of season on color characteristics of beef longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle. CIE L^*, a^*, b^*, C^* values and hue angle were significantly lower (P<0.05) in cattle slaughtered in the winter season. Meat color was darker in the winter than in the spring and autumn seasons. The L^* values among three average daily temperature (T_a) categories were different (P<0.05) in order of: [5 °CT_a<25 °C] > [T_a25 °C] > [T_a<5 °C], indicating that the meat color of cattle slaughtered at T_a<5 °C was darker. The a^*, b^*, C^* values and hue angle were significantly lower (P<0.05) in cattle slaughtered at T_a<5 °C. Season at slaughter is of great importance for meat color. Namely, meat color of Hanwoo beef was influenced by environmental temperature. Overall, cattle slaughtered in the winter season of T_a<5 °C produced beef with more undesirable meat color properties.     

Oxidative stability and its relationship with natural antioxidants during refrigerated retail display of beef produced in Argentina

The objective of this study was to determine if pasture or grain diets affect oxidative/antioxidative status and the color stability of beef during retail display. Ten crossbreed steers were fed on pasture. Five of them were randomly assigned to remain on this diet, and the other five were finished on feedlot system (grain diet) during 110days until slaughter. Slices of Psoas major steaks were randomly distributed among retail display times (1, 3, 5, 7 and 9days). Lipid and protein oxidation were higher in Psoas major steaks from grain diet than in pasture diet (P<0.05). After 3days of display, lipid oxidation increased in meat from grain diet, whereas in meat from pasture diet the first evidence was after 7days (P<0.05). Protein oxidation was higher in meat from grain diet than in meat from pasture diet at day 9 of display (1.15±0.92 vs. 1.91±0.70μg/g, respectively; P<0.05). Antioxidant vitamins, α-tocopherol and β-carotene were higher at time=0 in pasture Psoas major steaks (P<0.05) and were differentially reduced throughout storage. While α-tocopherol decreased 41% and 57% for pasture and grain beef respectively (P<0.05), β-carotene levels remained practically unaffected in grain beef. After 7days of display "a" value was higher for Psoas major steaks from pasture diet (P<0.05). Besides, "L" parameter showed higher values for samples from grain diets but it was no affected by display time. No differences were observed between both treatments for "b" value, but a significant decrease (P<0.05) was observed along storage. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activity was stable throughout storage, while glutathione peroxidase activity decreased significantly (P<0.05). The results in this study demonstrated that the higher initial level and synergistic action (under light and air) of α-tocopherol and β-carotene found in pasture-finished animals improved the oxidative and color stability of beef, as showed by a better retention of redness at the end of retail display.     

Physicochemical characteristics of three muscles from free-range reared Iberian pigs slaughtered at 90 kg live weight

Three muscles from free-range reared pigs with different metabolic pattern were studied. m. Masseter (M), m. Longissimus dorsi (LD) and m. Serratus ventralis (SV) the first having an oxidative metabolism and the other two an intermediate and glycolytic metabolism. m. Masseter contained the highest content of myoglobin (M: 6.65 mg/g, LD: 3.00 mg/g and SV: 3.64 mg/g; P<0.001) and exhibited the highest CIE a* (M:17.10, LD: 14.83, SV:15.34, P<0.001) and C* (M: 17.95, LD: 15.61, SV: 15.54, P<0.001) values. m. L. dorsi and S. ventralis contained a higher intramuscular fat content than m. Masseter (M: 2.26 g/100 g muscle, LD: 4.79 g/100 g muscle, SV: 3.52 g/100 g muscle, P=0.001) and lower amounts of phospholipids (M: 0.33 g/g imf, LD: 0.12 g/g imf, SV: 0.19 g/g imf; P<0.001). Fatty acid profiles from total intramuscular fat and lipid fractions, neutral lipids and polar lipids, significantly differed among muscles, there being a higher content of unsaturated fats (especially in the C18:2 and C20:4 percentages) in the m. Masseter than in the other two muscles analysed. Comparatively, muscles from 90 kg live weight Iberian pigs contained more fat and heme pigments and were redder than those from the commercial pig crosses usually produced.     

Lipid and colour stability of beef from grazing heifers supplemented with sunflower oil alone or with fish oil

The effect of sunflower and fish oil supplementation of grazing heifers on lipid oxidation and colour stability in beef was investigated. For 150 days, heifers were assigned unsupplemented grazing (G) or restricted grazing with 2.5 kg concentrates containing 1250 I.U. -tocopheryl acetate and 290 g sunflower oil (S1), 415 g sunflower oil (S2), 290 g sunflower + 85 g fish oil (FS1) or 415 g sunflower + 85 g fish oil (FS2). Longissimus dorsi muscle was excised 24 h post-mortem and stored at −30 °C prior to analysis. Muscle -tocopherol in the oil-supplemented groups was higher (P < 0.05) than the G group. Lipid oxidation in refrigerated, minced raw or cooked beef was not significantly affected by diet but metmyoglobin was higher (P < 0.05) in raw beef from oil-supplemented groups compared to the G group. Lipid oxidation and metmyoglobin formation increased (P < 0.001) during refrigerated storage. Vitamin E supplementation together with pasture grazing appeared to offset any potential deleterious effect of oil supplementation on lipid and colour stability.     

Conjugated linoleic acid content of beef differs by feeding regime and muscle

The project objective was to determine the CLA content of three muscles (Longissimus lumborum, LD; Semimembranosus, SM; Triceps brachii, TB), in both raw and cooked states, in cattle finished on pasture or with grain supplements. Cattle were randomly assigned to one of four finishing regimens; pasture (n=11), pasture with grain supplement (n=11), pasture with grain supplement containing soyoil (n=12), and feedlot (n=12). In the raw state, TB had higher (P<0.05) CLA than LD or SM on a mg/g sample basis. Total CLA was higher (P<0.05) in the soyoil diet when compared to the other three feeding regimes on a mg/g sample basis and when expressed as mg/g fat in both raw and cooked analyses. Pasture inclusion produced higher levels (P<0.05) of total CLA than the feedlot diet on a mg/g fat basis for cooked samples while maintaining acceptable eating quality.     

Assessment of breed type and ageing time effects on beef meat quality using two different texture devices

Forty-two male yearlings were used to assess the influence of breed type and ageing time on beef texture. Samples of the M. longissimus dorsi of four breed types [double muscled (DM), dual purpose (Brown Swiss, BS), fast growth (FG) and unimproved type (UT)] were aged for 1, 3, 7, 10, 14 or 21 days at 4°C and frozen at −18°C until analysed. Cooked samples (to end-point of 70°C) were assessed using a Warner–Bratzler (WB) device. Raw samples were assessed using a compression device in which transverse elongation was prevented. There were no significant differences in WB values of cooked meat due to breed type, but ageing had a significant (P<0.05) on maximum load. Ageing, but not breed type, had a significant effect on the compression values of raw meat at low compression rates (P<0.001). Compression values, of raw samples, at 80% compression differed significantly (P<0.001) between breed types, but were not affected by ageing. Compression values of raw samples, at 80% compression, were affected by breed type, probably because of genotype differences in the contribution of connective tissue.     

Effect of Duroc content, sex and ageing period on meat and eating quality attributes of pork loin

This study was conducted to determine the effect of percentage Duroc content of entire male and female pigs and ageing period on meat and eating quality attributes of pork loin (M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum). A total of 84 pigs [entire males (n=42) and female (n=42)] of 0% Duroc (100% Large White), 50% Duroc (Duroc×Large White) or 100% Duroc (n=14 pigs per sex×genotype combination) were slaughtered at a liveweight of 100 kg. Steaks from the M. longissimus lumborum of female pigs were aged for either 2 or 7 days post-slaughter and evaluated using a consumer taste panel. Eating quality attributes of tenderness, flavour and overall liking of pork loin steaks from female pigs were not (P>0.05) influenced by Duroc content. Pork from 100% Duroc pigs was juicier (P=0.05) and had a higher (1.84%, P=0.05) intramuscular fat content than pork from 0 and 50% Duroc pigs (1.40 and 1.25%, respectively). Pork from entire male pigs had a lower (P<0.001) intramuscular fat content, was darker (P<0.01) in colour and recorded higher (P<0.01) Warner Bratzler shear force values compared with pork from female carcasses. Ageing pork loin steaks in vacuum bags for 7 days improved tenderness (P<0.01), flavour (P<0.05) and overall liking (P<0.05) compared with steaks aged for 2 days post-slaughter. Ageing of pork steaks for 7 days post-slaughter improved eating quality attributes far more effectively than increasing percentage Duroc content of pigs, which only influenced consumer scores for juiciness.     

Effect of muscular hypertrophy on physico-chemical, biochemical and texture traits of meat from yearling bulls

The effect of the presence of the double-muscling gene either homozygous (mh/mh) or heterozygous (mh/+) on the physico-chemical, biochemical and texture traits of Longissimus thoracis muscle of yearling bulls of the Asturiana de los Valles (AV) breed was studied. Meat of mh/mh bulls had lower amount of intramuscular fat (p<0.001) and also lower total (p<0.01) and insoluble collagen (p<0.05), although the double-muscling genotype did not affect collagen solubility. Homozygous animals had lower pigment content (p<0.05) and a lighter meat, showing lower water holding capacity, estimated as expressible juice under pressure (p<0.001). Genotype affected significantly the metabolic traits of muscle, with mh/mh animals having higher muscle glycolytic metabolism, assessed by a higher (p<0.001) lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and lower (p<0.001) oxidative activity of the isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH). The percentage of myosin heavy chain I in muscle was lower, although not significantly, for mh/mh bulls compared to mh/+ bulls. Texture measurements performed on raw material showed that meat of mh/mh bulls had lower resistance to total and 80% compression, which means lower background or collagen toughness. However, there were no differences between genotypes on shear force of cooked meat. Therefore, the physico-chemical, biochemical and texture traits of meat from mh/mh and mh/+ bull are in general significantly different, which could affect the sensorial quality of meat and hence the consumer acceptance.     

Effect of selection for growth rate on biochemical, quality and texture characteristics of meat from rabbits

Biochemical characteristics, including myosin heavy chain I (MHC-I) percentage, isocitrate dehydrogenase and aldolase activities, meat quality traits and instrumental texture properties of rabbits selected for different growth rates were studied. The animals of the control (C) group (7th generation; n=60) were raised in parallel with those of selection (S) group (21st generation; n=60). Carcass weights (1230.1 ± 19.8 and 1348.3 ± 20.1 g, for C and S, respectively) and perirenal and scapular fat content differed significantly (P<0.01) between the two groups. Water holding capacity was expressed as the percentage of pressure released water and was significantly different (P<0.05) between groups C and S (33.29% and 35.57%). MHC-I percentage and aldolase activity also differed significantly (P<0.05) between groups, group C showing higher oxidative traits than group S (MHC-I: 12.5% and 9.8%; aldolase: 597.11 and 636.83 UI/g muscle). Texture properties from the Warner-Bratzler test showed higher (P<0.001) shear firmness for loin in the S group (1.69 kg/s cm²) than in the C group (1.34 kg/s cm²). In addition, the texture profile analysis indicated that chewiness, gumminess and hardness were also higher in the S group (P<0.01). In conclusion, the results confirmed a positive effect of the selection on productive traits and a negative effect on instrumental texture properties and on the water holding capacity of the meat.     

Optimizing colour quality of modified atmosphere packed sliced meat products by control of critical packaging parameters

Distribution of fat, muscle and bone tissues was studied in bucks, wethers and doe Jebel Akhdar (JA) Omani goats raised under intensive management and slaughtered at 11, 18 or 28 kg body weight (BW). Weight of individual tissues was expressed as percentage of total respective tissue weight in the half carcass. Weight of total body fat in the empty body weight (EBW) ranged between 7.6% in bucks at 11 kg BW and 23.5% in does at 28 kg BW. At 18 kg BW, JA goats had higher TBF, carcass and non-carcass fat than those slaughtered at 12 kg BW (P<0.001). Does and wethers had a faster rate of deposition of carcass and non-carcass fat relative to EBW. Therefore, they had higher fat content (P<0.001) than bucks at 28 kg BW. The highest proportion of fat in the body was deposited intermusculary whereas the omentum constituted the highest non-carcass fat proportion. About 55% of the musculature in JA goat carcasses was found in muscle groups of the proximal hind leg, around the vertebral column and in the proximal forelimb (expensive muscle groups). Bucks had higher proportions of musculature in the forequarter (P<0.001) and intrinsic muscles of the neck but lower proportions of muscles at the proximal hind limb (P<0.001) than does and wethers. About 51% of the total skeleton was found in the axial skeleton, 22–23% in the forelimb and 22–23% in the hind limb of JA goats. There were few sex or slaughter weight effects on proportions of bone weight in the skeleton. In general, slaughter weight and sex effects on tissue distribution were more pronounced in the fat tissue. The magnitude of these effects on muscle and bone tissues was small and is unlikely to have economic impact on meat production from goats.     

Addition of tea catechins and vitamin C on sensory evaluation, colour and lipid stability during chilled storage in cooked or raw beef and chicken patties

The effects of addition of tea catechins (TC) and vitamin C (VC) on sensory evaluation, colour and lipid stability in cooked or raw beef and chicken meat patties during refrigerated storage were studied. Fresh beef striploin and chicken breast muscles were minced, following removal of external fat and connective tissue. Following mincing, beef and chicken were assigned to one of the following five treatments: control (meat treated with no antioxidant); TC200, meat plus 200 mg TC/kg muscle; TC400, meat plus 400 mg TC/kg muscle; VC200, meat plus 200 mg VC/kg muscle, VC400, meat plus 400 mg VC/kg muscle. Sodium chloride (1%) was added to all samples. Patties (125 g portions), formed from the above-treated minced meat, were oven cooked, cooled, and packaged in 30% CO₂:70% N₂. Fresh raw beef and chicken patties were packaged in 80% O₂:20% CO₂. All samples were stored for up to 7 days under fluorescent lighting at 4 °C. Sensory parameters (colour, flavour, taste, tenderness and overall acceptability) were evaluated on cooked beef and chicken patties after 1, 3 and 6 days of storage. Surface colour (Hunter L, a and b values), and lipid oxidation (2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) were measured on days 1, 3 and 6 of storage for cooked meats and on days 2 and 7 for raw beef and chicken. Tea catechins addition (200 or 400 mg/kg) to minced meat caused (P < 0.05) discolouration in cooked beef and chicken meat patties and significantly reduced (P < 0.001) lipid oxidation in cooked or raw beef patties compared to the control. Beef, either raw or cooked, was more susceptible (P < 0.01) to oxidation compared to chicken. Raw meat stored in high oxygen conditions was more susceptible to lipid oxidation than cooked meat stored in anaerobic conditions. Tea catechins treatments (TC200 and TC400) inhibited (P < 0.05) lipid oxidation in raw beef to a greater extent than vitamin C treatments (VC200 and VC400). These results indicate that tea catechins are potent natural antioxidants and exhibit greater antioxidant efficacy compared to vitamin C.     

Cooked Color in High pH Beef Patties as Related to Fat Content and Cooking from the Frozen or Thawed State

Beef patties were processed from high pH (>6.0) beef to contain 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25% fat. Patties were cooked to 71°C from the frozen or thawed state before evaluating color. Neither fat content nor state of patties when cooked exerted any major influence on color, but linear effects (p<0.01) in association with increased fat content included higher L* values and hue angles and lower a* values (15.2% reduction). Higher values for L*, b* (but not for 5% fat patties), and hue angles were observed for patties cooked thawed rather than frozen. The use of high pH beef lessened the effects of increased fat and cooking from the thawed state on increased brown color in cooked patties.     

Patterns of growth and partitioning of fat depots in tropical fat-tailed Menz and Horro sheep breeds

A total of 147 Menz and Horro lambs of both sexes were serially slaughtered and dissected at five different stages of growth to define the pattern of growth and partitioning of fat among body depots in indigenous Ethiopian Menz and Horro sheep breeds. The GLM procedure of SAS and allometric growth equation were used to assess the effects of various factors on the growth of body depots and to estimate its growth relative to total carcass fat (TCF) and empty body weight (EBW), respectively. Results obtained showed that the growth of carcass fat (CF), non-carcass fat (NCF) and tail fat (TF) is significantly affected by the genotype (P<0.001) and stages of growth (P<0.001) of lambs. Except for CF, the growth of both NCF and TF were also significantly affected (P<0.001 and P<0.05) by the sex and the season in which the lambs were born. Of the two breeds, the Menz sheep deposited more fat into the carcass and less into the non-carcass depots as compared to the Horro sheep and ewe lambs in both breeds deposited more fat intra-abdominally than the ram lambs. The highest allometric growth coefficient was obtained for TF (1.2–2.1 relatively to TCF and EBW) and the lowest for NCF (0.8–1.3 relative to TCF and EBW) indicating that the former is a late developing while the later is an early maturing depot in the tropical fat-tailed Menz and Horro sheep breeds.