South Africans frequently consume red meat as part of their diet. However the nutrient content of South African sheep meat is derived from other countries. The Red Meat Industry considered it essential to have more reliable data and thus the nutrient content of A2 South African lamb was recently determined and published. This is the next phase of the study in which the right sides of C2 mutton carcasses were used to determine the nutrient and physical (carcass) composition of each raw cut as well as the whole carcass by calculation. Eighteen mutton carcasses of the most commonly consumed breeds, namely Dorper and Merino, in South Africa were selected. The carcasses were obtained from large abattoirs form three mutton producing regions in South Africa namely Ermelo, the Karoo and Kalahari. Chilled carcass sides were subdivided into ten primal cuts. Three cuts (shoulder, loin and leg) from the left side were cooked in order to determine the nutrient composition thereof. The cuts were dissected into meat which consists of muscle and intramuscular fat, intermuscular - plus subcutaneous fat and bone in order to determine the physical composition per cut and for the whole carcass. Meat compromise of 63.2% of the carcass, with bone contributing to 20.5% and fat to 16.9%. Results showed differences in the physical composition of South African C2 mutton as it contains on average 47% less fat and 19% more lean muscle, when compared to previous published composition data. Three cuts (shoulder, loin and leg) from the left side were cooked in order to determine the nutrient composition thereof. Cooking resulted in an increase in the protein and cholesterol concentrations of the cooked cuts. Iron content was higher in the cooked loin and leg but decreased in the cooked shoulder. According to nutrient density, a 100g edible portion of the leg, loin and shoulder have a nutrient density higher than one for protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12 indicating that these cuts are a good source of these specific nutrients. A 100g edible portion of the loin cut contained higher fat quantities than the cooked shoulder and leg cuts. The loin cut also had a higher cholesterol content at 70.8mg compared the 58.5mg cholesterol content in the shoulder and 57.9mg in the leg cut. However, these values were calculated with all associated subcutaneous fat and it is known that many consumers trim on plate, especially the loin cut. Considering the fact that significant differences were apparent between the current study and previous data derived from other countries, it emphasizes the importance of determining the nutrient composition of South African food products in order to increase the validity of the SA food composition tables. Food-based approaches targeting the relief of micronutrient deficiency usually encourage the consumption of animal foods together with the consumption of green leafy vegetables (GLV). The inclusion of GLV and red meat, two micronutrient rich foods, can be a strategy based on mutual supplementation to combat nutritional deficiencies as it has the potential to alleviate numerous micronutrient deficiencies including iron and vitamin A deficiency. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Food Science / unrestricted

Orientador: Kléber Tomás de Resende / Resumo: RESUMO - A absortometria de raios-X de dupla energia (DXA) é um método não-invasivo para mensurar a composição corporal de animais que representa uma alternativa aos métodos padrões de dissecação e análise química, por ser uma técnica de fácil aplicabilidade e que possibilita o acompanhamento das variações na composição corporal do animal ao longo de sua vida. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a capacidade do método DXA em determinar a composição corporal de caprinos submetidos a dois níveis nutricionais. Para isso, foram utilizados 36 machos Saanen, castrados, divididos em três faixa etárias (3, 5 e 7 meses), cada faixa etária era composta por 12 animais, que foram divididos em dois regimes alimentares: sendo 6 animais mantidos sob regime alimentar ad libitum (AL) definido como o consumo sob mantença com adicional para ganho de 150 g.dia-1; e 6 animais mantidos sob regime alimentar ao nível de mantença (M). Assim que atingiram a idade pré-estabelecida os animais foram mantidos em jejum de líquido e sólidos por 24 horas e escaneados no aparelho DXA Hologic (Discovery Wi). Posteriormente, foram abatidos sendo realizada análise química do corpo inteiro para comparação entre os métodos. O pernil esquerdo foi seccionado da carcaça total escaneado pelo aparelho DXA, e então, dissecado em osso, músculo e tecido adiposo, cada componente foi analisado individualmente no DXA, e posteriormente submetido a análise química para servir de referência aos parâmetros DXA obtidos c... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: ABSTRACT - Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a noninvasive method to measure the body composition of animals that represents an alternative to comparative slaughter, since it is a technique that is easy to apply and allows monitoring of the variations in the animal's body composition throughout its productive life. The objective was to evaluate the use of DXA method in determining the body composition of goats submitted to two nutritional levels. For this, 36 Saanen males, castrated, were divided into three age groups (3, 5 and 7 months), each age group was composed of 12 animals, 6 of which were kept under diet ad libitum (AL), consumption under maintenance additional for gain of 150 g.day-1; and 6 under maintenance level (L). As soon as they reached the pre-established age, the animals were fasted for 24 hours and scanned in the Hologic DXA device (Discovery Wi). Then, the animals were slaughtered and whole body chemical analysis was performed for comparison between methods. The left leg was sectioned from the total carcass and scanned by the DXA device, after that, it was dissected into bone, muscle and fat, each component was individually analyzed by DXA, and then chemical analysis was performed to be reference for in vivo DXA parameters. The design was completely randomized in 3x2 factorial, with six replications. No significant differences were found for the interaction between age and food level. The relationship between the comparative slaughter method and in ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Minimising variability in carcass quality to better meet market specifications is a priority for Australian pig producers, however issues with variability in carcass fat distribution have recently been raised, particularly in the belly primal. There has been a rapid increase in the use of low-cost, deep-litter (DL) housing systems in Australia over the past 15 years for rearing pigs. The inherent differences between the physical, thermal, and social environments of conventional (C) and DL production systems may well alter the growth path of the pig and subsequently alter fat metabolism and hence fat deposition and distribution. The general industry view is that pigs finished in DL housing are fatter and grow less efficiently than pigs finished in C housing, however contrasting carcass and growth performance results have been reported between housing systems. It is likely that the different housing environments affect the maintenance energy requirements of the growing pig, thereby affecting the availability of substrates for fat deposition and/or the requirements for fat mobilisation. Hence, raising pigs in C and/or DL production systems was identified as a likely contributor to variability in carcass fat distribution via the effects of the disparate environments on fat metabolism. The overall purpose of this thesis was to establish the effect of keeping pigs in C and/or DL housing systems on fat metabolism, and therefore fat deposition in the growing pig and fat distribution in the finished carcass. Industry considers that finishing pigs in C facilities allows greater flexibility in feeding and marketing decisions, allowing growth efficiency and backfat to be managed more effectively than in a DL system. Therefore an aspect of this thesis was to also examine the effects of an alternative management strategy, raising pigs in a combination of DL and C housing, on growth performance and fat deposition and distribution in the carcass. The presence of straw bedding is a major difference between C and DL housing systems. This was identified as a probable contributor to the differences in growth performance and carcass fat distribution found between pigs raised in the different housing systems, via its thermal properties and/or the ingestion of the straw on pig growth. Experiment 1a and 1b were designed to test the hypothesis that the growth path differs for pigs raised in C and DL housing systems, affecting biochemical indicators of fat metabolism and therefore fat accretion and distribution in the carcass. The study was conducted as a serial slaughter of pigs housed in C and DL systems allowing the pattern of fat accretion, and therefore the distribution of fat in the carcass, to be determined from 15¨C185 kg live weight (LW). The results confirmed the hypothesis that the growth path, fat accretion and fat distribution in the carcass differed for pigs raised in C and DL housing systems. In Experiment 1a, elevated lipogenic enzyme activities, higher percentages of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and higher concentrations of plasma glucose and lactate indicated lipogenesis was elevated in C pigs to 13 weeks of age, compared to young DL pigs, suggesting that fat accretion was higher in young C pigs. At 24 weeks of age however there was a shift in lipogenic enzyme activities, the percentage of SFA in backfat and the concentration of plasma glucose were higher in DL-housed pigs than C-housed pigs, indicating higher rates of lipogenesis. Elevated concentrations of plasma non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and glycerol in DL pigs indicated that lipolysis, or fat mobilisation, was higher in DL-housed pigs for the entire growth period. The results from Experiment 1b clearly indicated that during early growth, C pigs grew faster than DL pigs (0.71 vs 0.66 kg/day, P¡Ü0.05) and were heavier between 8-23 weeks of age (P¡Ü0.05). Therefore in conjunction with the results of Experiment 1a, it was expected that young C pigs would be fatter than DL pigs of the same age. However, dissection indicated no treatment differences in total carcass composition, although there was an effect of housing on carcass fat distribution with a trend (P=0.087) for a lower ratio of fat:lean in the belly primal of DL pigs compared to C pigs at 13 weeks of age. After 20 weeks of age however, growth rates were similar for pigs in both housing treatments and by 26 weeks of age there were no treatment differences in live weight (LW) but the rate of fat accretion in DL pigs, particularly in the loin and belly primals, increased rapidly. Differences in the thermal environments of C and DL housing, and therefore differences in the energy demand for thermoregulation, were likely to have contributed to the differences measured in lipogenesis, growth performance and carcass fat distribution. Experiment 2a and 2b tested the hypothesis that moving pigs from DL to C housing for finishing would improve overall growth performance and reduce carcass fatness compared to pigs raised in wean-to-finish DL housing. The biochemical measurements indicated few differences in the rate of lipogenesis between 13-week-old C and DL pigs. However, and in agreement with the findings from Experiment 1a, elevated plasma NEFA concentrations in DL pigs suggested higher rates of lipolysis. Up to 13 weeks of age, pigs in the DL housing system grew faster than C pigs, however similar to the findings of Experiment 1b, DL pigs were less efficient. In addition, P2 backfat depth was less in DL pigs, indicating they were leaner than C pigs, and though not reflected in total carcass composition, again there was an effect of housing on fat distribution. The move to an unfamiliar housing environment affected growth performance, reduced enzyme activity in backfat and the ratio of SFA in belly fat, suggesting these pigs had lower rates of lipogenesis. However in contrast to Experiment 1a, where lipogenesis was higher in older DL pigs compared to older C pigs, pigs finished in the DL housing had a trend for lower enzyme activity in belly fat (P=0.063), suggesting lower rates of lipogenesis, and higher plasma glycerol concentrations, suggesting a higher level of lipolysis compared to C-finished pigs. The carcass composition data (Experiment 2b) found that though there were no differences indicated by differences in P2 depth, there was a strong trend (P=0.057) for DL-finished pigs to have 2-6% less fat in the carcass as a result of significantly less fat in the shoulder (15% vs 17%) and belly (29% vs 33%) primals compared to C-finished pigs. The difference in belly primal composition was a reflection of the lower enzyme activities in belly fat and higher plasma glycerol concentrations in DL finished pigs. The results suggest that the type of housing during the finishing growth period has a greater impact on fat accretion and carcass composition than the type of housing during the grower period, or changing housing environment during growth. However, changing housing environment at 13 weeks of age affected growth, where there was a temporary reduction in daily LW gain, and therefore significantly lower (P¡Ü0.001) LW at slaughter (117 kg LW), compared to pigs that had remained in C or DL housing from wean-to-finish (123 kg LW). Moving pigs from DL to C housing to control carcass fat and improve growth performance compared to pigs grown wean-to-finish in DL housing, was not successful, and had a negative impact on performance and carcass quality by reducing growth efficiency and LW and increasing carcass fatness. The results also showed that contrary to the industry view that DL raised pigs are fatter, pigs in this experiment finished in DL housing had a lower fat:lean ratio in the carcass than pigs finished in the C system (P¡Ü0.05). The effects of straw on growth performance and carcass composition were evaluated in Experiment 3a and 3b by including straw in the grower and finisher diets (St+) and/or providing straw bedding (Bed+) to C-housed pigs. The experiment tested the hypothesis that the presence of straw alters the growth paths of pigs, affecting fat distribution in the carcass. Straw, as bedding and in the diet, affected pig growth paths and altered carcass fat distribution and, consistent with the findings for DL pigs in Experiments 1b and 2b, there was a trend for pigs with access to straw to have less fat in the belly (P=0.072). Elevated activity of key enzymes involved in lipogenesis, measured in Experiment 3a in belly fat and backfat from pigs fed the St+ diet, and a higher ratio of SFA in belly fat of pigs housed on concrete without straw bedding, suggested that in this experiment straw ingestion increased lipogenesis in belly fat and backfat of the growing pig, whilst straw bedding reduced lipogenesis in belly fat. Experiment 3b demonstrated an additive effect of straw on growth where average LW at slaughter for pigs without access to straw was significantly lower (110 kg), compared to pigs with access to one source of straw either via the diet or bedding (115 and 114 kg LW respectively), and pigs that had two sources of straw available (119 kg LW) (P¡Ü0.05). Although LW differed between treatments there were no differences in total carcass fat (P>0.10), yet there was an effect of straw on fat distribution. Pigs with access to straw had a lower ratio of fat and a higher ratio of lean tissue in the belly primal (P=0.072) compared to pigs that did not have straw. The effect of straw ingestion on lipogenesis and fat deposition may have occurred via the effects of dietary fibre (DF) on the dilution of dietary energy density. Pigs were able to compensate for the energy/nutrient dilution by increasing VFI and therefore growth was not affected, however fat acts as an insulator, and localised differences in fat distribution may have been related to increased heat production (HP) from the digestion of greater volumes of feed. In response, fat deposition may have been directed away from the belly location in order to facilitate heat loss. Floor type may have also affected fat distribution via differences in thermal conductivity. Straw has a lower thermal conductivity than concrete, hence pigs housed on concrete flooring may have a greater requirement for fat in the belly to reduce conductive heat loss. Results from Experiment 3a and 3b provided evidence that pigs housed on bedding consume straw in sufficient quantities. Pigs fed the straw diet had significantly higher concentrations of plasma acetate than pigs fed the control diet (P¡Ü0.001), and there was a trend for pigs housed on straw bedding to have higher levels than pigs without access to straw. An increase in plasma acetate can indicate increased microbial activity in gut, which occurs in response to higher levels of DF. In addition, pigs bedded on straw had higher gastrointestinal tract weights, which can also indicate higher levels of DF intake. Regression analyses of data across experiments showed that P2 backfat depth, the primary carcass composition prediction tool, accounted for less than 50% of the variation in percent carcass fat (R2=0.41). Furthermore, across experiments, P2 accounted for very little of the variability in percent belly fat (R2=0.01). These results highlight the inconsistency of P2 depth as a reliable indicator of carcass composition and the need for the development of additional criteria to be used in the selection of carcasses for specific markets as the composition of the belly primal was not indicated by the current carcass measurement system. From the results obtained in this thesis, it was proposed that: 1) The growth path of pigs is altered by the housing system in which they are reared and the more variable ambient temperature of the DL housing system would increase the energy requirement of young pigs for thermoregulation. As a consequence of the altered growth paths, fat metabolism differs for pigs raised in DL and C production systems. Lower rates of lipogenesis may occur in young DL pigs compared to C pigs and this can change as pigs grow, however fat mobilisation remains higher in DL pigs during growth. 2) Differences in the rate of lipogenesis, indicated by the biochemical measures, were generally not reflected in total carcass composition, however there were differences in carcass fat distribution where pigs raised in DL systems consistently had less fat in the belly primal. Rearing environment may provide an additional criterion when selecting carcasses for specific markets where variability in belly composition is an issue. 3) Pig raised in the DL environment are not always fatter than pigs housed in C facilities, and moving pigs from one housing environment to another during the growing-finishing period disrupts the growth path reducing growth performance and can increase carcass fatness. 4) Straw bedding, via ingestion and via its physical thermal properties, affects pig growth and fat distribution and may explain in-part the differences in pig growth performance and carcass quality found between C and DL housing systems.

No description available.

Forage halophytes such as saltbush (Atriplex spp) are being widely used to revegetate Australian saline land and can also provide a medium quality fodder source. There is widespread anecdotal evidence that sheep grazing on saltbush are leaner, tastier and juicer. This thesis investigated the potential to produce a high quality carcass with improved eating quality from grazing sheep on saltbush on saline land. The first experimental chapter in this thesis details an animal house experiment investigating the carcass, eating and wool quality and physiological responses of sheep ingesting a 60:40 dried saltbush (Atriplex nummularia):barley grain (S+B), ration verses a 33:25:42 lupin grain:barley grain:oaten hay ration (Control, C) for 10 weeks prior to commercial slaughter (Chapter 4). Subsequently, two field experiments were conducted to examine the effects of grazing saltbush on saline land compared to dry senesced pasture on carcass and eating quality of lambs (Goomalling 2003) and hoggets (Wickepin 2004) (both chapter 6) for 14 weeks. Both chapters demonstrated that the ingestion of saltbush resulted in significantly less fat and in the 2 field experiments the ingestion of saltbush resulted in more lean on the carcass compared to sheep grazing a stubble/pasture (control) ration. These are positive findings for processors as costs of fat denudation are high so the lower the fat content and for farmers because less fat is deposited on the carcass per unit of liveweight gain. The decreased deposition of fat was attributed to the higher protein:energy ratio available for production, secondary compounds in saltbush and lower circulating insulin and higher growth hormone of the S+B fed sheep compared to the control fed sheep. Further work is needed to determine if these beneficial improvements in carcass composition can be achieved without compromising animal production. The long term grazing of saltbush did not result in commercially desirable hot carcass weights unless the sheep were supplemented with a high energy source such as barley. The low growth rates are attributed to a decreased availability of energy substrates, low feed intake and increased energy output of sheep fed high salt diets. The low energy intake of the S+B fed sheep also resulted in an a significantly lower percentage of unsaturated fat and unchanged levels of saturated fat in the fat depots compared to the C treatment. Consumer taste tests conducted on meat from experiments in both chapter 4 and 6 indicated no difference between the treatments for any of the eating quality traits assessed. This can be considered a positive result as sheep can be finished on saltbush without any detriment to eating quality. High vitamin E levels in the meat may have also prevented the development of rancid flavours and aroma. It can be speculated that saltbush does not impart beneficial flavour and aroma volatiles as previously thought; instead the high vitamin E levels inhibit off-flavour and aroma development compared to meat from sheep grazed on dry pasture. The long term ingestion of saltbush also resulted in significantly lower urine specific gravity (USG), muscle dry matter and higher urine weights suggesting that the saltbush fed sheep had a better hydration status compared to control fed sheep. However, this finding did not correspond with higher hot carcass weight or dressing percentages. The increases in muscle fluid content of the saltbush fed sheep were attributed to changes in body composition. The saltbush fed sheep had a higher lean and lower fat content which corresponded with a greater body fluid content as found in the animal house study. Under conditions where the body composition of sheep remains the same, the use of short term strategic feeding of components of saltbush was investigated (mimicked in the form of salt and betaine) to reduce dehydration and subsequent reductions in carcass weight and dressing percentages (Chapter 7). Salt and or betaine were fed for 1 week either prior to a 48 h period of water deprivation or prior to 48 h commercial slaughter process where water was available in lairage from 24-48 h. Under both scenarios the diets did not result in improved dressing percentages, hot carcass weights, muscle dry matter or muscle weights. The ingestion of high salt diet prior to slaughter, did increase fluid retention in the extracellular spaces prior to slaughter however by 48 h both groups were at a similar physiological and therefore similar hydration status. Therefore similar levels of fluid were present in the muscles and no difference in carcass weight or dressing percentage could be expected. An important observation from the second experiment was that the high salt group drunk more water than the low salt fed sheep but the low salt group consumed fluid in lairage also. The low salt fed sheep may have been encouraged to drink water after observing the frequent drinking patterns of the high salt group. This thesis has also shown that saltbush contains high levels of vitamin E (á-tocopherol) (193 mg/kg dry matter). As a result the concentration of á-tocopherol in plasma, liver and muscle of the saltbush fed sheep was elevated compared to those grazing dry pasture. The high muscle concentrations of vitamin E in the saltbush-grazed sheep resulted in improved meat colour stability. The high vitamin E levels did not influence the drip and cooking loss of the meat despite a decrease in the muscle dry matter of the meat. The browning of meat and increased drip loss results in large losses to the meat industry due to value deterioration at the supermarket. There is also great potential for the high vitamin E content in saltbush to be used for the prevention of nutritional myopathy instead of using expensive and labour intensive synthetic supplements. In conclusion, this thesis has provided an insight into the carcass and eating quality of sheep grazed on saltbush based saline pasture systems. The most significant findings were that

Diss. (sammanfattning). Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2003. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2004. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning). Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-12-06Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:54:08Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 nunes_bn_me_jabo.pdf: 1008282 bytes, checksum: af0bbfa7cf6b22401973aa6081413945 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estimar parâmetros genéticos e fenotípicos de peso corporal e características de carcaça de 3422 aves nascidas de 17 incubações e resultantes de cruzamento recíproco de uma linhagem de corte e outra de postura, mantidas pela Embrapa Suínos e Aves. As características estudadas foram: peso vivo (PV42), rendimento (RC), matéria seca (MS) e umidade da carcaça (UC) aos 42 dias e proteína bruta, extrato etéreo e cinzas, medidas na carcaça, em porcentagem da matéria natural (PBMN, EEMN e CZMN), da matéria seca (PBMS, EEMS e CZMS) e em gramas (PBG, EEG e CZG). Os componentes de variância foram estimados por máxima verossimilhança restrita, utilizando-se modelo animal uni e bicaracterística, considerando o efeito aleatório genético aditivo e o efeito fixo de grupo (animais de mesmo sexo, incubação e acasalamento). As estimativas de herdabilidade (h2) para PV42, RC, MS e UC foram, respectivamente, iguais a 0,31 ± 0,069, 0,20 ± 0,05, 0,33 ± 0,074 e 0,33 ± 0,074. Melhores estimativas de h2 para as características de qualidade de carcaça foram obtidas quando estas foram expressas em porcentagem da matéria seca (0,48 ± 0,093, 0,55 ± 0,099 e 0,36 ± 0,077, respectivamente para PBMS, EEMS e CZMS). O aumento no PV42 resulta em maior porcentagem de extrato etéreo e menor de proteína bruta e cinzas na carcaça, enquanto que a seleção para rendimento de carcaça pouco irá influenciar os constituintes desta. Correlações genéticas entre características medidas na carcaça em porcentagem da matéria seca indicaram que a seleção para proteína bruta poderia favorecer maiores proporções de cinzas e menores de gordura. / The objective of this work was to estimate genetic and phenotypic parameters of body weight and carcass traits from 3422 chickens born of 17 hatches and originated of reciprocal crosses between a broiler and egg type strain, maintained by “Embrapa Suínos e Aves”, in Concordia, SC. The traits studied were body weight (BW), carcass yield (CY), carcass dry matter (DM) and moisture (MC) of carcass at 42 days of age and protein, fat and ash, measured in carcass, in wet carcass percentage (PW, FW, and AW), in carcass dry matter percentage (PD, FD and AD) and in grams (PG, FG and AG). The variance components were estimated using a REML method, considering a single and bi-trait model that included random additive genetic effect and the fixed effect of group (animals from the same gender, hatch and cross mating procedure). The heritabilities estimates (h2) for BW, CY, DM, MC were, respectively, 0.31 ± 0.069, 0.20 ± 0.05, 0.33 ± 0.074 and 0.33 ± 0.074. Best h2 estimates of carcass composition traits were calculated when they were expressed in carcass dry matter percentage (0.48 ± 0.093, 0.55 ± 0.099 e 0.36 ± 0.077, respectively for PD, FD and AD). The increase of BW would result in amount in fat percentage and reduction in percentage of protein and ash carcass. The selection for carcass yield would have little influence on the carcass composition. Genetic correlations between traits measured in dry matter percentage carcass indicated that the selection for protein could favor increased ash and reduced fat percentage.

One of the main drivers influencing consumers in the purchasing of red meat is the level of visible fat, and this is particularly important in lamb, with lamb often being perceived as fatty. Consumer-driven preference for leaner meat, coupled with the meat processing industries preference for a reduction in carcass fat, increasing lean meat yield and reducing waste, have led to continued selection for lean growth and reduced fatness in several meat producing species The perception of lamb being fatty could be directly targeted in isolation by reducing overall fat levels, however there are related effects on meat (eating) quality, and the combined improvement and consistency of meat (eating) quality and the reduction of overall fatness is more complicated. It is apparent that fat content plays a significant role in meat (eating) quality. Generally four major fat depots are recognised in animal carcasses, these are: subcutaneous (under the skin); internal organ associated; intermuscular (between muscles and surrounding muscle groups); and intramuscular (marbling, between muscle fibres), the latter generally regarded as having the greatest association with meat (eating) quality. X-ray computed tomography (CT) can measure fat, muscle and bone in vivo in sheep and CT predictions of carcass composition have been used in commercial UK sheep breeding programmes over the last two decades. Together with ultrasound measures of fat and muscle depth in the loin region, CT measured carcass fat and muscle weights have contributed much to the success of breeding for leaner carcasses and increased lean meat yield. Recently it has also been considered that x-ray computed tomography provides the means to simultaneously estimate IMF and carcass fat in vivo. Thus the aim of this project is to investigate the use of two and three-dimensional x-ray computed tomography techniques in the estimation of meat (eating) quality traits in sheep, and to further investigate the genetic basis of these traits and the possibility of their inclusion into current breeding programmes. The primary approach was the use of two-dimensional x-ray computed tomography, determining the most accurate combination of variables to predict IMF and mechanical shear force in the loin. The prediction of mechanical shear force was poor with accuracies ranging from Adj R2 0.03 – 0.14, however the prediction of IMF in the loin was more promising. CT predicted carcass fat weight accounted for a moderate amount of variation in IMF (R2 =0.51). These accuracies were significantly improved upon by including other information from the CT scans (i.e. fat and muscle densities, Adj R2 >0.65). Average muscle density in a single or multiple scans accounted for a moderate amount of the variation in IMF (Adj R2 = 0.51-0.60), and again accuracies R2 >0.65 were achieved, independent of CT-measured fat areas or predicted fat weights. Similar results were achieved with the use of three-dimensional CT scanning techniques (Adj R2 0.51 – 0.71), however, there was a dramatically increased requirement for image analysis when compared to two-dimensional techniques, and the increase in accuracy was not significant. This suggests that the current method of two-dimensional image capture is sufficient in the estimation of IMF in vivo in sheep. The prediction equations developed as part of this work were applied across divergent breed types (Texel, Scottish Blackface and Texel cross mule), to investigate the transferability of the prediction equations directly across to other breeds of sheep. As part of this study, the IMF levels across the breed types and sexes were also compared and found that IMF was significantly affected by breed type (P<0.001) with Scottish Blackface lambs having higher levels of IMF when compared to Texel cross mule lambs, and the lowest levels of IMF were in the purebred Texel lambs at the same liveweight or similar levels of carcass fatness. Sex also had a significant effect on IMF across breeds (P<0.001) with females having higher levels of IMF at similar levels of both carcass fat and liveweight, and within breed, females had significantly higher levels of IMF in both the purebred Texel and Scottish Blackface lambs, when compared at similar levels of carcass fat and liveweight (P<0.05). Using the models previously developed in purebred Texel to predict IMF in the Scottish Blackface and Texel cross mule, accuracies were found to be R2 = 0.57 – 0.64 and R2 = 0.37 – 0.38 respectively. Providing evidence that the equations are transferable across to some breeds more successfully than others, however, given that there is currently no method of accurately estimating IMF in vivo, accuracies across to both breeds are acceptable. The genetic parameter estimation was unsuccessful using the same research-derived dataset as previously employed in the study. However the ambition was always to investigate the genetic relationships between traits in a large industry dataset, exploiting the wealth of commercial CT information available. These investigations were considerably more successful, and among the first to present genetic parameters of novel CT-derived IMF estimates. The results found moderate heritability estimates of h2 0.31 and 0.36 for the final selected prediction equations, with clear indications that one model not including CT predicted carcass fat or any other fat measures, was more independent of these measures and the two separate prediction methods were highly genetically correlated with each other (rg = 0.89). The results from this study show that not only is it possible to accurately estimate IMF levels in the loin of Texel sheep using CT scanning, but that, until breed specific predictions are developed, the methods developed in this study are transferable across some breed types. The results also show that CT predicted IMF is heritable, independent of overall fatness and has the potential to be included in current breeding programmes. These findings can now be used to develop breeding programmes which enable breeders to make the best use of CT scanning technology to improve carcass composition while maintaining or possibly improving aspects of meat (eating) quality.