The effect of three pork backfat levels (0% vs. 10% vs. 30%) on chemical composition, fatty acid profile and sensory properties on sheep and goat meat sausages was studied. All physicochemical parameters were affected by the addition of pork backfat in both types of sausages. Sausages manufactured with 30% of pork backfat showed the lowest moisture and protein contents and the highest total fat content. The lower a(w) values in sausages manufactured with higher fat content while in pH happened the reverse situation. The addition of pork backfat modified the total fatty acid profile, prompting a significant drop in the relative percentages of C14:0, C16:0, C17:0, C17:1, C18:0 and TVA (trans-vaccenic acid), together with a marked increase in oleic and linoleic acids. Finally, in goat sausages, the fat content significantly affected sensory parameters: taste, texture and overall acceptability (P<0.05). As expected, all physicochemical parameters were affected by the addition of pork backfat in both types of sausages.

The main objective of this study was the sensory characterization, by a taste and a consumers’ panel, of fresh sausages from 140 culled goats and 140 culled ewes. Species and type of preparation effects were studied. All data were previously analyzed by analysis of variance. Taste panel data were analyzed by a Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA). Consumers’ panel data were analyzed by Preference Mapping. The 1st 2 factors explained 88.22% of total variation in GPA. Different sausages samples were perfectly differentiated by assessors. Goat sausages have been considered harder, more fibrous, and less juicy than sheep sausages. The panelists observed that sheep sausages without paprika had greater intensity of flavor, tasted spicy, and had an off‐odor, while goat sausages with paprika were considered sweeter. Consumers’ panel did not show any preference for the different types of sausages. This means that all types of sausages can have market opportunity.

The red seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis has a potent antimethanogenic effect, which has been proven both in vitro and in vivo. Vegetable oil immersions of this seaweed (hereafter Bromoil) help stabilise the bromoform (CHBr₃) responsible for its antimethanogenic effect. We evaluate the effects of increasing the levels of CHBr₃ in lamb diets on growth performance, methane (CH₄) production, animal health and meat quality. Twenty-four Merino Branco ram lambs were fed a ground complete compound feed, supplemented with 50 mL/kg DM of sunflower oil with different CHBr₃ content. The treatments were defined by the CHBr₃ doses in the oil: 0 mg (control - B0), 15 mg (B15), 30 mg (B30) and 45 mg (B45) of CHBr₃ per kg of feed DM. The feed was prepared daily by mixing Bromoil with the compound feed. At the end of the experiment, the lambs were sacrificed, the ruminal content was collected for in vitro fermentation to evaluate CH₄ production and organic matter (OM) degradability, and the rumen mucosa was sampled for histological examination. Meat samples were collected for chemical composition and CHBr₃ analysis. The half-life of CHBr₃ in the air-exposed feed was 3.98 h making it very difficult to establish the practiced level of CHBr₃ supplementation. Lambs-fed treatments B30 and B45 decreased DM intake by up to 28%. Average daily gain was also reduced due to CHBr₃ supplementation, with B45 showing results 40% lower than B0. DM feed conversion ratio was similar for all treatments. The degradability of OM, the volume of total gas and of gas without CH₄ were unaffected by the experimental treatments, evaluated by the in vitro method. However, the volume of CH₄ decreased by up to 75% for treatments above 30 mg/kg DM, while the yield of CH₄/g OM degraded was reduced by up to 78% with treatments above 30 mg/kg DM. Meat chemical composition was not affected by Bromoil supplementation and no traces of CHBr₃ were found in meat samples. During this experiment, the animals presented normal health and behaviour. However, postslaughter examination of the rumen showed distinct lesions on the ventral region of the rumen mucosa of animals supplemented with Bromoil. These lesions were more severe in the animals receiving treatments B30 and B45. This research determined that although concentrations of CHBr₃ in the diet above 30 mg/kg DM helped to reduce CH₄ emissions, it negatively affected the performance and rumen wall.