RETAIL ACCEPTABILITY OF LAMB AS INFLUENCED BY GENDER AND SLAUGHTER WEIGHT

A retail survey was conducted to determine the retail acceptability of lamb rib chops from animals differing in gender and slaughter weight. A random array of 12 packages of untrimmed chops, with equal weight, representative of three genders (rams, ewes, and wethers) and four slaughter weight groups (40.5-49.5; 50-0-58-6; 58-9-67.7, and 68.2-76.8 kg live) were presented to 2002 consumers as they passed through 31 supermarkets in two cities. Respondents demonstrated an obvious aversion to fatness, and over 50% of the respondents indicated chops from all genders and slaughter weight groups were unacceptable, with the exception of chops from ram lambs up to 58-6 kg in liveweight at the time of slaughter. Therefore the population of lambs currently being produced and marketed are too fat to be acceptable to the vast majority of Canadian consumers.