The study utilized 10 ½ Somalis-Brasileira ½ Crioula (SB-C) rams and 11 ½ Santa-Inês ½ Crioula (SI-C) rams from two feeding treatments during weaning: grass hay + leucena hay (D1) and grass hay + leucena hay + 20% crude protein concentrate (D2). Experimental data for pH, color, cooking losses, shear force and sensory analysis were analyzed in a randomized block design 2 ´ 2 (2 breeds ´ 2 feeding treatments). It was not observed effect of crossbreed or feeding treatments on meat quality attributes. Meat pH values varied from 5.62 to 5.65, cooking loss varied from 21.45 to 23.90 % and shear force varied from 4.46 to 4.85 kg-f. Meat color parameters varied from 36.67 to 37.70 for L*, from 14.85 to 15.54 for a* and from 0.83 to 1.37 for b*. Sensory analysis of lamb showed a good acceptability with no differences between treatments. Regardless of crossbreed or feeding regime used in this study lamb from Northeast Brazil is acceptable as measured by subjective or objective means.
lamb; quality; pH; color; texture
