Taste Panel Procedure

Muscle samples from the LT, GS, GM, and SM were used for sensory testing. After cooking samples and obtaining shear force slices from only the LT and SM, samples were cut into 1.5 cm cubes for sensory analysis. Cubed sensory samples were placed into individual Ziploc freezer bags and held in a water bath maintained at 65 °C until consumed by panelists.

The decision to use a consumer panel reflected the intent to garner perceptions of Midwest lamb consumers. Specifically, for lamb flavor intensity, an indicator of the “innate” flavor profile, and off-flavor intensity, a possible indicator of the “undesirable,” and potentially “off-putting” flavor profiles that could discourage future purchases of lamb products. The consumer taste panel was comprised of graduate students, staff, and faculty from The Ohio State University, Department of Animal Sciences (Columbus, OH). Taste panelists had prior experiences eating lamb and were identified as not being aversive to lamb.

Taste panels for LT and shoulder patty samples were both conducted over an 8-d period, while GM and SM were each conducted over a 2-d period. Taste panels were conducted three times a day at 0900, 1200, and 1500 h offering each panelist eight cooked samples in a session, and with a random order of dissemination. Before testing, panelists were provided instructions for the sensory evaluation process and were asked to not eat for 1 h prior to testing sessions. Panelists were provided a record sheet for each sample, and a set of palate cleansers including unsalted crackers, distilled water, and apple juice. Panelists were instructed to chew samples for at least 5 to 10 s to fully obtain all flavor characteristics present within the sample. Panelists were asked to rate lamb flavor intensity on an end-anchored line scale from 0 to 100, with 0 being very mild and 100 being very intense. Off-flavor intensity was rated by consumer panelists on an end-anchored line scale from 0 to 100, with 0 being very mild and 100 being very intense. Specific off-flavors were recorded by panelist when detected, with off-flavors being defined as anything other than lamb/sheep meat flavor. Specific off-flavors options offered to panelists on the sample ballots included sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami/meaty, browned, metallic, livery, bloody, grassy, fecal/barnyard, urine/ammonia, and an option to write in other off-flavor descriptor(s).