Merits of using new intramuscular fat measurement technologies in genetic evaluation of Australian lamb

This study investigated the genetic association of intramuscular fat predicted with the MEQ probe (MEQIMF) and the SOMA NIR device (SOMAIMF) with Near Infra-Red analysed intramuscular fat (IMF%), tenderness, carcass eye muscle, fat and tissue depth. MEQ and SOMA NIR predicted IMF have only just became available to Australian processors, with data on genetic resources limited to 1,380 and 1,320 records, from research and seedstock flocks, respectively. Genetic analysis showed that MEQIMF has a moderate heritability (0.42 ± 0.1) and a high genetic correlation (0.95 ± 0.07) with chemical intramuscular fat. Similarly, SOMAIMF was estimated to have a moderate heritability (0.42 ± 0.1) and a strong genetic correlation with IMF% (0.94 ± 0.03). The results of the genetic analysis for IMF measured with the new technologies are likely to facilitate identifying the high intramuscular fat carcasses and in turn animals that have genetically superior eating quality.