Supplementing ruminants' diet with seaweed has shown positive effect on meat quality and micronutrients important for human health. The objective of the present study was to investigate the use of Saccharina latissima in a lamb diet to improve the eating quality and nutritional value of meat. Six-month-old female Norwegian White lambs (n = 24) were fed, 35 days pre-slaughter, three different diets: a control (CON) and two seaweed diets (SW); supplemented with either 2.5% (SW1) or 5% (SW2). The quality properties of longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and semimembranosus with adductor (SM+ADD) muscles were examined. The dietary inclusion of seaweed reduced cooking loss and shear force of lamb meat, although the effect was not significant at both supplementation levels. SW1 fed lambs showed a significantly (p < 0.05) improved meat color stability and antioxidant potential. Seaweed also reduced lipid oxidation (TBARS) and the warm-over flavor in SM+ADD compared to the CON lamb. Seaweed fed lambs showed an increased content of selenium and iodine in LTL, thereby fulfilling the requirements for the label "source of nutrient" and "significant source of nutrient", respectively. An increased arsenic content in LTL was, however, also observed with seaweed inclusion (to 1.54 and 3.09 μg/100 g in SW1 and SW2 group, respectively). While relevant positive effects were found in meat using seaweed in lamb feed, some optimization of this feed approach will be desirable.
Keywords: growing-finishing lamb diet; meat quality traits; minerals; seaweed.