Te Mana Lamb is bred in the New Zealand high country and finished on chicory herb pastures, is finely-marbled and rich in naturally-elevated polyunsaturated and Omega-3 fats.
Te Mana Lamb is part of the Omega Lamb Project, a Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) programme between leading food company Alliance Group, a group of progressive farmers known as Headwaters and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
The project is aiming to increase the total value of lamb and the share of value captured in New Zealand by developing healthy, high quality branded products.
General manager of the Omega Lamb Project Mike Tate said the project builds on a decade-long scientific programme and breakthrough research involving Headwaters that’s found that the right combination of genetics, management and feeding can alter the fat profile of lamb and produce animals that are healthy, while delivering a healthier product for consumers.
“New Zealand lamb is internationally renowned for its quality by consumers and the hospitality industry.
“However, Te Mana Lamb is something different. The specific breeding programme and pasture requirements don’t lend themselves initially to mass production. At this stage, it is very much aimed at the fine dining experience. We see it as heralding a rebirth of different lamb dishes and reaffirmation of New Zealand as the home of the world’s best lamb.”
Chefs have been positive about the product and feedback from multiple taste panels showed the extra good fats enhance succulence and eating quality, Tate said.
General Manager Marketing for Alliance Group Peter Russell said the Omega Lamb Project was originally conceived to produce fewer “lean” sheep, able to thrive better in high altitudes, pastures and conditions.
“The happy discovery was these lambs were not just healthier, but also better-eating due to a new type of intramuscular fat, the healthy polyunsaturated Omega-3 fat, which in turn means the resulting lamb doesn’t taste or cook like any other lamb before it.
“Te Mana doesn’t behave like regular lamb when cooking. Because the lamb meat is full of ‘good fat’, it has essentially less moisture. That means it doesn’t suffer shrinkage when cooking, retains its shape, flavour and texture and is more versatile."
About 30,000 Te Mana lambs have reached the programme’s criteria for Omega-3 intramuscular and polyunsaturated fats this year.
