The use of pea (Pisum sativum) has been recommended to replace soybean meal in the diet of ruminants, but it may affect meat quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the proportion of pea (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) in fattening concentrates fed to light lambs for 41 days on carcass colour and on the meat quality. Pea inclusion affected neither the colour of the lamb carcasses nor affected most of the parameters of the meat quality. However, the inclusion of pea affected the cholesterol content, and the 20%pea concentrate yielded meat with greater cholesterol contents than the 30%pea concentrate did (p < 0.05). The inclusion of pea had minor effects on individual FAs but affected the total saturated fatty acids (p < 0.01) and the thrombogenicity index (p < 0.05). A greater total saturated fatty acid content was recorded for the 20%pea concentrate than for the rest of the concentrates, and a greater thrombogenicity index was recorded for the 20% concentrate than for the 10%pea concentrate. The results indicated the viability of the inclusion of pea in the fattening concentrate of light lambs without impairing meat quality, with the 30%pea concentrate being the most suitable to reduce the soya-dependency.
Keywords: Pisum sativum; colour; fatty acids; soybean; texture.