RESUMO
The meat quality of Corriedale lambs (40kg live weight) produced in the Mesopotamia region (Argentina) was assessed. These lambs had different finishing diets: only native grass pasture, ground alfalfa and alfalfa-linseed pellet (70/30). Carcass yield, longissimus dorsi area, backfat thickness, marbling, pH, meat and subcutaneous fat color, cooking loss, Warner-Bratzler shear force, fat, protein and moisture content were determined. Lambs finished on alfalfa-linseed pellet had the highest carcasses yield and backfat thickness and their meat had a lighter color (higher L(∗) value), higher marbling and tenderness than meat from lambs reared on native grass pasture. Grass-based finishing can lead to the production of leaner meat, with a more reddish color (higher a(∗) value). The ground alfalfa finishing diet seems to be intermediate between native grass pasture and alfalfa-linseed pellet with respect to carcass yield, backfat and meat color. In addition, the animals fed on ground alfalfa showed the highest muscle area.