Impiego di granelle di leguminose in alternativa alla soia nella produzione di carne ovina biologica

Use of legume grains in substitution of soybean meal in organic lamb meat production. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of replacing soybean meal in the diet with alternative legume grains without GMO presence and at low aflatoxin risk, on the growth and carcass and meat quality traits of lambs. After weaning at 66±6 d of age, 28 male Comisana lambs were divided into 4 groups and gradually adapted to diets over a 15-d period. Until slaughter at 129±6 d of age, each group received ad libitum pelleted alfalfa hay and concentrates differing for the protein source: chickpeas (CP), faba beans (FB), peas (PE) and soybean meal (SM). Lambs growth and carcasses weight were not modified by the concentrate. CP lambs showed higher DM and protein intake from concentrate (P≤0.05) and a higher incidence of perirenal and pelvic fat (P≤0.05) than SM group. Longissimus dorsi meat from different diets did not differ for chemical composition, colour, thawing and cooking losses, tenderness, and sensory properties assessed by triangle tests. The oleic acid was the prevalent fatty acid in the intramuscular fat of lambs from all the groups. The main variations concerned linoleic and trans vaccenic acids, higher (P≤0.001) in CP than in other groups.