Nutrient and Related Food Composition of Exported Australian Lamb Cuts

Nutrient and physical composition data for nine cuts of exported Australian lamb trimmed to 1/8-in external fat were obtained to provide the information for nutritional labeling and for 50 items for the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Vacuum-packaged primals from eight carcasses were fabricated into matching cuts for raw and cooked analyses from left and right carcass sides. Physical composition was similar to earlier estimates made for U.S. and New Zealand lamb trimmed to 1/8-in external fat except for higher portions of separable lean in Australian loin and rib cuts. Separable lean and separable fat were analyzed for proximate composition, cholesterol, fatty acids, 10 minerals and six vitamins. The results confirmed similar variation in chemical composition among lamb cuts to that reported in earlier studies of U.S. and New Zealand lamb. These included an inverse relationship between moisture and lipid content and a relatively constant protein content among the cuts. In general, changes in the nutrient density of cuts of Australian lamb and comparisons with similar cuts from U.S. and New Zealand lamb represented less than a 5% change per 100 g edible portion in recommended dietary intake per component.