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The longissmus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles from 391 lamb carcasses, derived from various breed types, were used to investigate the effect of animal/muscle factors, packaging type [over-wrap (OW) or high oxygen modified atmosphere packaging (MAP O2 )] and duration of display on redness of meat during simulated retail display. Using statistical models the time required (in days) for redness to reach a threshold value of 3.5 (below this is unacceptable) was predicted. High levels of iron in the SM, but not LL, reduced the time for redness to reach 3.5 by 2–2.6 days in MAP O2 and 0.5–0.8 days in OW. The greater the proportion of Merino breed type, the shorter was the time for redness to reach the value of 3.5, an effect consistent across muscles and packaging types. In summary, breed type, packaging format, muscle and muscle iron levels had a significant impact on colour stability of sheep meat in oxygen-available packaging systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperate pastures that leak water below the root zone have been linked to an increase in dryland salinity in southern Australia through their conservative use of stored water. An experiment was conducted at Hamilton in southwestern Victoria to test the hypothesis that deep-rooted, summer-active perennial pasture species can substantially reduce leakage. On topographic crests the experiment compared lucerne and chicory with a traditional perennial ryegrass variety with low summer activity, whereas on the poorly drained valleys the comparison was between tall fescue, kikuyu and a perennial ryegrass variety with high summer activity. Lucerne developed a buffer of dry soil to a depth of at least 5m. An empirical relationship with June-September rainfall indicated that with this dry buffer, leakage below the root zone would not occur even in the wettest of years. Chicory developed a dry buffer to the depth of measurement (3 m), but plant density gradually declined and leakage started to occur 5 years after sowing. The perennial ryegrass with low summer activity had leakage nearly every year. On the valleys kikuyu was initially the most effective at drying the soil in summer, but its density declined at the expense of annuals and 3 years after sowing it became wetter than the other treatments. None of the pasture options on the valley fully controlled leakage, but both the summer-active perennial ryegrass and tall fescue were persistent and there was little difference in their capacity to extract summer moisture. This study showed that four characteristics were associated with a pasture that controlled leakage - summer activity, persistence, adequate density and deep rootedness. Of the species tested only lucerne satisfied all these criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Tenderness, flavour, overall liking and odour are important components of sheepmeat eating quality. Consumer assessment of these attributes has been made for carcasses from the Information Nucleus Flock (INF) of the Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation. The concentrations of three branched chain fatty acids, 4-methyloctanoic (MOA), 4-ethyloctanoic (EOA) and 4-methylnonanoic acids (compounds related to ‘mutton flavour’ in cooked sheepmeat) and 3-methylindole and 4-methylphenol (compounds related to ‘pastoral’ flavour) were determined for 178 fat samples taken from INF carcasses. Statistical modelling revealed that both MOA and EOA impacted on the ‘Like Smell’ consumer sensory score of the cooked meat product (P <0.05), with increasing concentration causing lower consumer acceptance of the product. None of the compounds though had an effect on the liking of flavour. Obviously, reducing the effect of MOA and EOA on the odour of grilled lamb will improve consumer acceptance of the cooked product but other factors affecting the eating quality also need to be considered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Despite over 20 years of research on childhood cancer clusters and hazardous waste sites, little evidence has been produced to indicate a causal relationship. Nevertheless, the perception of a childhood cancer cluster being located near a hazardous waste site can raise fear and uncertainty, and it demands attention from health officials. To investigate this public health concern, the author used the spatial-scan statistical software SaTScan to detect childhood cancer clusters and their proximity to National Priority List (NPL), or Superfund, sites in Florida. In the ecological study reported here, 'most likely' clusters were defined as those with a p-value of <.05. Distance served as a proxy for exposure; a geographical information system (GIS) was used to determine the number of clusters within a predetermined distance of an NPL site. Spatial clusters were found to occur randomly throughout the state, with most clusters being identified in the more populated counties, and clusters less likely to occur near an NPL site. This article attempts to explain the utility of an emerging public health surveillance tool for detecting cancer clusters near hazardous waste sites. Despite several epidemiological limitations of the study, as well as the fact that there are other environmental exposure hazards such as Toxic Release Inventory facilities and landfills, the SaTScan program proved useful as a surveillance tool for generating more in-depth studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The portable fibre-testing instrument OFDA2000 has applications in the mohair industry for both fibre classing and animal selection. A comparison was completed between single-staple mid-side testing using an OFDA2000 and conventional laboratory mid-side testing using an OFDA100. Mid-side mohair samples (n=504) were collected from two consecutive shearings of a mixed sex group of Angora kids at 6 and 12 months of age. The samples were at the fine end (average 20.9 µm) of the mean fibre diameter range of mohair. There was a bias between the estimates of mean fibre diameter at both shearings. The other traits studied also had biases between measurement methods. The regression analyses results of mean fibre diameter from the two test methods accounted for 91% and 88% of the variance for first and second shearings, respectively. Regression analyses between test methods for standard deviation, coefficient of variation of fibre diameter and fibre curvature accounted for less variance than the regressions of mean fibre diameter results. The results indicate OFDA2000 is suitable for estimation of mean fibre diameter of greasy kid mohair staples and is therefore useful for both mohair classing and Angora selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The portable fibre-testing instrument OFDA2000 has applications in the mohair industry for both fibre classing and animal selection. A comparison was completed between single-staple mid-side testing using an OFDA2000 and conventional laboratory mid-side testing using an OFDA100. Mid-side mohair samples (n=504) were collected from two consecutive shearings of a mixed sex group of Angora kids at 6 and 12 months of age. The samples were at the fine end (average 20.9 µm) of the mean fibre diameter range of mohair. There was a bias between the estimates of mean fibre diameter at both shearings. The other traits studied also had biases between measurement methods. The regression analyses results of mean fibre diameter from the two test methods accounted for 91% and 88% of the variance for first and second shearings, respectively. Regression analyses between test methods for standard deviation, coefficient of variation of fibre diameter and fibre curvature accounted for less variance than the regressions of mean fibre diameter results. The results indicate OFDA2000 is suitable for estimation of mean fibre diameter of greasy kid mohair staples and is therefore useful for both mohair classing and Angora selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheep production systems in south-west Victoria are based predominantly on perennial ryegrass pastures, resulting in highly seasonal growth and declining feed quantity and nutritive value in late spring and summer. These changes result in reduced animal performance and increased CH4 emissions per kg DM intake. A potential alternative to the feedbase used in south-west Victoria that provides high quality and quantity of feed in late spring and early summer are legume-based pastures, such as clovers and lucerne. This experiment examined the impact of legume-based pastures on the growth rates and CH4 emissions of Maternal Composite ewes during late spring and early summer. In 2014, 240 Maternal Composite ewes grazed either perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) or arrowleaf clover (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi.) pastures for 6 weeks during late spring and early summer (November and December). Sheep grazing subterranean clover were heavier at the end of the experiment than sheep grazing perennial ryegrass. Methane measurements using portable accumulation chambers indicated lower daily CH4 emissions (g/day) from sheep grazing subterranean clover (23.5 g/day) than from sheep grazing lucerne (27.3 g/day) and perennial ryegrass (32.3 g/day) pastures. Methane emissions and liveweight changes appeared to be associated with the nutritive characteristics of the forage offered. Legume-based pastures provide sheep producers in south-west Victoria an option to increase growth rates and decrease CH4 emissions during a period when perennial ryegrass pastures are declining in nutritive value. Feed nutritive characteristics influence CH4 emissions from grazing sheep. Sheep-meat production systems in south-west Victoria are based predominantly on perennial ryegrass pastures, resulting in highly seasonal growth and declining nutritive value in late spring and summer. Legume-based pastures provide producers an option to decrease CH4 emissions during a period when perennial ryegrass pastures are declining in nutritive value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unacceptable meat colour scores at the time of carcass grading are associated with reduced meat quality and consumer rejection. We hypothesised that the meat colour at carcass grading would be influenced by the pH and temperature decline post slaughter, as these would be determined by animal and processing factors. Beef carcasses (n = 1512) at seven Australian processing plants were assessed, at grading, for the meat colour of the M. longissimus thoracis. Statistical modelling determined the animal, carcass and processing factors contributing to the meat colour score at carcass grading. The occurrence of unacceptably dark meat dropped from 8 to 3% when the time of grading was increased from 14 to 31 h post slaughter (P < 0.01). A high temperature at pH 6 (rigor temperature), high final pH (pH[sub F]), pasture feeding and older animals were associated with dark M. longissimus thoracis at carcass grading (P < 0.05 for all). Less than 30% of carcasses with non-compliant pH[sub F] displayed a dark non-compliant meat colour >3, indicative of an opportunity to determine the mechanism behind this pH-induced colour development and thus reduce the incidence of non-compliance. It is recommended that when there is a high occurrence of carcasses with a dark meat colour >3 that the time from slaughter to grading is checked to ensure carcasses are in full rigor at the grading point. This will assist in minimising economic penalties due to dark-coloured carcasses. Finally, animal factors, such as maturity and feeding regime also had a considerable impact on the meat colour at carcass grading. Unacceptably dark meat colour scores are a major cost to the beef industry. Beef carcasses (n = 1512) were assessed for meat colour and 10% were non-compliant for colour. The main causative factors were a short time from slaughter to grading, high final pH, low rigor temperature, older animals and pasture feeding. Attention to these factors can improve meat colour scores at grading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]