Sambucana sheep breeding in Valle Stura di Demonte and meat characteristics: present situation and outlooks on future

In Valle Stura di Demonte (NW Italian Alps), sheep breeding is a traditional activity based on Alpine summer pastures exploitation. This study aimed to asses the quality of heavy lambs meat. Sixteen Sambucana lambs in vivo and slaughter traits were surveyed. The nutritional characteristics, as well as the physical and technological properties of the meat, were analysed. On the basis of a survey about the composition and quality of summer pastures vegetation, a grazing management more compatible with the herbage conservation and regeneration was defined. In order to individuate the optimal moment for sheep exploitation, four pastoral vegetation types were studied, and quality “routes” which shepherds should adopt to ensure the best forage quality were drawn. The relation among breeding systems, grazing land management, and meat quality, still have to be specified by further researches.