Impact of cooking on the content of nutritionally important fatty acids in muscle from lambs raised to have divergent intramuscular fatty acid compositions

The effect of sous vide cooking or grilling longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) on the intramuscular fatty acid concentrations of lambs raised at pasture (Pasture), fed a cereal concentrate-based diet (Concentrate) or fed a cereal concentrate-based diet with a protected linseed oil supplement (Linseed) was assessed using GC-FID. Sous vide and grilling led to significant increases in fatty acid concentrations, particularly in the Pasture group. The apparent retention values were generally higher in the Pasture group. Concentrate, Linseed and Pasture groups had 16.7–19.9 mg, 25.8–28.7 mg, and 38.8–42.9 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in 100 g cooked meat, respectively. The EPA+DHA in the Pasture group met the requirements for a nutrient claim as a “source of n-3 fatty acids” set by the European Commission and as a “good source of n-3 fatty acids” set by the Food Standards Australia and New Zealand.