Effect of pre- and post-rigor on texture, flavor, heterocyclic aromatic amines and sensory evaluation of roasted lamb.

Abstract This study investigated the variation in texture, flavor, heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) and sensory evaluation of pre- and post-rigor roasted lamb. Topside muscles were collected from twenty-eight lamb carcasses at 1 h, 6 h, 12 h, 1 d, 3 d, 5 d and 7 d postmortem and then roasted at 180 °C for 8 min. According to the pH and shear force (SF) values, the lamb muscles at 1–12 h, 1 d and 3–7 days postmortem were considered to be in the phases of pre-rigor, rigor and post-rigor, respectively. Pre-rigor roasted lamb showed a lower roasting loss, while the post-rigor roasted lamb showed a lower SF value. Higher concentrations of total volatile compounds were found at 3 days postmortem. The total contents of HAAs were significantly lower in pre-rigor roasted lamb compared to the post-rigor roasted lamb (P