The volatile compounds in lamb fat are affected by the time of grazing

This study was designed to assess whether different grazing managements affect the appearance of organicvolatile compounds (VOC) in lamb fat. Forty-two lambs were divided into four groups: 9 lambs were restrictedin stall and fed concentrate (S group); 12 lambs grazed from 9 am to 5 pm (8 h group); 10 lambs grazedfrom 9 am to 1 pm (4hAM group) and 11 lambs grazed from 1 pm to 5 pm (4hPM group). After 72 days onfeed the animals were slaughtered and the perirenal fat subjected to SPME-GC/MS analysis of VOC; thedata were analyzed by stepwise discriminant analysis. The 6-methyl-2-heptanone and furanone, 2,5-dimethyl,4-hydroxy-3(2H) allowed discrimination between the 4hAM and the 4hPM animals. These are the first resultsindicating that the time of the day in which the animals are allowed to graze affects the appearance of VOC inlamb fat.