Quality of Santa Inês × Dorper sheep meat submitted to different levels of inclusion of sunflower cake

Aim of study: To evaluate the physicochemical and sensory quality of meat from Santa Inês × Dorper lambs fed diets with increasing levels of sunflower cake. Area of study: Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil). Material and methods: Twenty-four castrated lambs (initial weight of 18.9 ± 2.17 kg) were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments (0, 5, 10 and 15% sunflower cake in diet) with six repetitions and kept in confinement until reaching the average body weight of 32.1 ± 2.6 kg. The Longissimus lumborum muscle was used for proximate composition and physicochemical analyzes, and the Semimembranosus muscle was used for pH (after 24 h of slaughter) and sensory analysis assays. Main results: The increasing levels of sunflower cake did not affect the composition or physicochemical properties. Sensory analysis also did not reveal significant differences in meat obtained from animals in different diets. Principal Components Analysis indicated that juiciness, color, odor and flavor were positioned opposite to protein, texture, and ash. Research highlights: The use of sunflower cake in diets for crossbred sheep Dorper × Santa Inês as soybean meal and corn replacer, up to 15% inclusion of soybean meal and corn, does not affect the proximate composition, physicochemical or sensory characteristics of the meat.