22nd September 2011

Spanish consumers have appetite for grass-fed lamb

The Texel breed is known to have major influence on the lamb export trade, with the UK exports expecting to continue to dominate the EU market, now representing nearly 40% of ‘organised’ EU sheep meat production, according to European Commission data. This should offer a strong signal to UK commercial producers to focus on producing quality from breed capable of finishing off grass.

Spanish consumers have rated English Quality Standard grass-fed lamb highly in blind taste tests carried out by Eblex.

Consumers at three different Spanish locations with a tradition of high lamb consumption rated English lamb equally to Spanish lamb, with no clear preference between the two.

It is hoped the research, carried out with 476 people in Catalunia, Aragon and Extremadura, will encourage more Spanish buyers to consider fast-growing breeds of lamb reared on rain-fed pastures, which they have traditionally shunned out of a perception that it has too strong a taste compared to their milder, grain-fed domestically produced lamb.

John Yates Chief Executive Texel Society added “the average breeding value for growth to 21 weeks of age is over 5kg higher when comparing the breed development over the past 20 years. This is a massive shift in the genetic potential of a population – in a relatively short period of time”.

“While lamb growth rate is important – it must be accompanied by high levels of muscling. In the Texel breed, selection for growth rate has been accompanied by large increases in muscling across the loin through the careful selection of rams using ultrasound scanning. Gains have been impressive, with the average Texel now possessing the breeding potential to produce an extra 1.5kg of lean meat at 21 weeks of age compared to those born in 1990.

Jean-Pierre Garnier, Eblex head of export services, said: “Traditionally, we have faced a wall with some Mediterranean countries, particularly in Spain, who believe the lamb produced in northern Europe is not to the liking of their palate. They have a preference for their own grain-fed lamb.

“This has been a real barrier to trade, but something we felt was based on historic perception rather than people actually tasting the difference, so we put this to the test.”

Consumers were asked to rate the lamb on tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall acceptability. A small majority (51%) of the tasters in Catalonia and Aragon preferred the English lamb, while a small majority in Extremadura (58%) preferred the Spanish lamb, suggesting that there was no real preference between the two.

“This really does show that the Spanish consumer has an appetite for grass-fed lamb and we hope this will encourage more Spanish importers to look to buy from countries like England that use this system,” added Garnier.