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Meat quality and transport stress of cattl
Abstract
This study evaluated the effect of transport time up to 14 hours and the effects of vehicle design on animal welfare, stress and meat quality. 18 transports (six short, medium and long) with a total of 486 animals (118 sample animals, heifers and bulls) were carried out on commercial vehicles in summer 2000 and winter 2001. Animal welfare and stress were evaluated by blood serum parameters, heart rate monitoring, behaviour recording and occurrence of carcass bruising. Meat quality was evaluated by post mortem muscle glycogen content, pH value, temperature, drip loss, colour and tenderness measurements. Heifers had lower heart rates than young bulls during loading (95 vs 114 beats per minute, bpm), whereas during transport, both had an average heart rate of 100 bpm, furthermore during unloading, heifers had higher heart rates than bulls (109 vs 100 bpm). Blood sampling during unloading could have marginally increased heart rates during the unloading procedure. Studied cattle had lower heart rates during medium and long distance transports compared with short transports. Monitoring of animal behaviour during transport showed that the former settled down faster than the latter. Single- and two-animal pens in medium and long distance vehicles prevented nervous and stressful movements of cattle, which were more prominent in large pens of short distance lorry. Present results suggest that larger pens of three or four animals could increase cattle stress during transport. Moreover during unloading, cattle loaded in single- or two-animals pens had significantly lower blood cortisol content than those loaded in larger groups of three or four animals (P < 0.01). The amount of severe carcass bruising was highest in animals transported over short times and loaded into groups of four cattle. Severe damages occurred most often on perianal and hipbone area of the carcass surface. Present results showed that muscle glycogen level was highest after long transport. These animals were fed more regularly from the last feeding up to stunning than medium or short distance animals. Animals in single-pens had the highest muscle glycogen level. Transport distance or number of animals in one pen had a minor effect on muscle pH values or temperatures during 24 hours post mortem (pm). Drip loss of the M. longissimus dorsi (LD) was highest after long transport, but animal number in one pen had no effect on drip loss. Colour of the LD muscle was independent on transport conditions. Light colour of three animal groups resulted from high amounts of heifers, which had lighter colour than bulls. All meat samples were quite tender. However, heifers had significantly tender meat than young bulls (P < 0.001). Higher amounts of heifers had the most tender meat after short transports. Mean DFD (dark, firm, dry) meat occurrence was 2.1% in this project, DFD frequency was lowest after short, then after long and highest after medium distance transports. Because of not evenly distributed numbers of bulls (low) and heifers (high) it was difficult to compare short and long distance transport effects.
... When studying the transport of steers, Gallo et al. (2000) focused on the effects of transport duration prior to slaughter on animal behaviour and carcass characteristics. The impact of transport-induced stress on meat quality in cattle was studied by Honkavaara et al. (2003). Villarroel et al. (2003a) examined the effect of commercial transport in Spain on cattle welfare and meat quality. ...
... Transport by road can induce significant stress in cattle, as reported by Wikner et al. (2003a), andMaria et al. (2004). Changes are also manifested through carcass bruising, as reported by Chandra and Das (2001), Gallo et al. (2000), Honkavaara et al. (2003). Major stress load may manifest itself in transport-induced mortality of cattle during transport for slaughter (Malena 2006;Večerek 2006b,c). ...
... Reaction of animals to stressors have been shown to depend on the duration and intensity of the stressors (Fazio and Ferlazzo 2003). Gallo et al. (2000Gallo et al. ( , 2001, Honkavaara et al. (2003), and Villarroel et al. (2003a have documented alterations in stress load indicators during long-duration transport of cattle, while Steinhardt and Thielscher (2000, 2005a,b), and Odore et al. (2004 have demonstrated changes in stress load indicators during transport in calves. ...
The death of animals during transport for slaughter is a major factor indicating the level of welfare in transported animals. However, research data that report the level of animal welfare as reflected in transport-related mortality rates of individual animal species and categories are missing. The present study focused on losses of pigs and cattle in the period from 1997 to 2006. Transport-related mortality rates were recorded by species and categories of animals and also for the following travel distances: up to 50km, 51-1001km, 101-200km, 201-300km, and over 300 km. Rates differed according to species and category. The highest mortality rates were found in young sows, sows, and boars (0.2562%) followed by fattened pigs (0.1075%), excluded dairy cows (0.0396%), calves (0.0269%), and fattened cattle (0.0069%). Significant differences were found among mortality rates (p < 0.05). The lowest mortality rates occurred with shorter travel distances (< 50km and 51-100km) when compared to long travel distances (101-200km, 201-300km and > 300 km), with a significant difference (p < 0.05) between short and long travel distances being found in fattened pigs, fattened cattle and dairy cows. Mortality rates in animals during transport for slaughter show young sows, sows, and boars to be the most susceptible to transport-related stress, followed by fattened pigs, dairy cows, and calves, whereas the highest resistance was observed in fattened cattle.
... Pre-slaughter stress, such as transportation, lairage at the abattoir and human contact, may result in an unintended deterioration of meat quality parameters, such as tenderness and juiciness, by affecting the animals' metabolic processes (Arthington, Eichert, Kunkle, & Martin, 2003;Honkavaara, Rintasalo, Ylönen, & Pudas, 2003;Warriss, 2003;Immonen & Puolanne, 2000). Adverse impacts in terms of meat tenderness are particularly undesirable, as consumers can demonstrably recognize deviations and are willing to pay more for the guarantee of a tender steak (Lusk, Fox, Schroeder, Mintert, & Koohmaraie, 2010;Wheeler, Shackelford, & Koohmaraie, 2004;Boleman et al., 1997). ...
... The meat tenderness as analyzed by WBSF was found to be significantly different (P < 0.01) between animals slaughtered via gunshot (arithmetic mean (AM): 4.34 kg) and animals stunned with a captive-bolt pistol (AM: 4.77 kg), where the samples of the animals slaughtered via gunshot were more tender (Table 2). In general, differing WBSF values might be caused by the pre-slaughter stressors, such as human contact, transportation and lairage at the abattoir, that can affect metabolic processes, as reported in numerous studies (Ferguson, Shaw, & Stark, 2007;Arthington et al., 2003;Honkavaara et al., 2003;Warriss, 2003;Immonen & Puolanne, 2000;Lahucky, Palanska, Mojto, Zaujec, & Huba, 1998;Grandin, 1997). ...
Beef quality parameters can be negatively affected by pre-slaughter stress. Slaughter via gunshot directly on the pasture appears to be suitable for the reduction of pre-slaughter stress by avoiding stressors such as transportation, lairage and human contact. The effect of slaughtering via gunshot on sensory and objective measures of beef quality parameters for the Musculus longissimus dorsi of Galloway steers was analyzed and compared to conventional slaughter at the abattoir using captive-bolt stunning. The Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) was significantly (P < 0.01) lower for the meat of the animals slaughtered via gunshot (arithmetic mean (AM) gunshot: 4.34 kg; AM captive-bolt pistol: 4.77 kg). However, trained assessors were not able to recognize this difference (P > 0.05). No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed for cooking loss and the sensory quality evaluation of juiciness. As measured by the WBSF, the meat of the animals slaughtered via gunshot was slightly more tender than was the meat of the animals stunned with a captive-bolt pistol. However, for the cooking loss and sensory evaluations, no effect of the slaughter methods was observed. Nevertheless, this study reveals the potential that slaughter via gunshot provides for the improvement of beef quality.
... This accumulation of hydrogen ions acidifies the muscles and consequently causes drop of pH [1]. Low acidity during maturation changes the color, taste, and tenderness of meat [2][3][4]. Significant pre-slaughter stress also affects the firmness and ability to retain water, but also reduces the tenderness of meat [5]. ...
... Seasonal temperature changes can affect muscle glycogen levels after slaughter and the final pH. The increase in glycolysis results from excessive excitement, hunger, and stress caused by the ambient temperature, leading to high post-mortem pH values [4,6,7]. The conditions for keeping cattle in livestock warehouses also have a great influence on meat quality [8]. ...
This work aimed to comprehensively analyze the factors (slaughter method, gender, and muscle type) that determine the kosher status of beef and assess their influence on the selected quality characteristics of raw meat. The muscles were obtained from 40 carcasses of heifers and 40 carcasses of young bulls. In the first stage of the experiment, pH values were measured. The water, protein, fat, minerals, and collagen contents were determined. Then, the shear force, forced drip, and thermal drip were measured. The experimental results indicated that all the investigated parameters have an impact on the final quality of beef. Statistically significantly lower pH1 values were noticed in the longissimus thoracic muscle of young bulls obtained through kosher slaughter methods. However, 24 and 48 h after slaughter, higher pH values were observed in the meat of young bulls obtained by the kosher slaughter method, where the meat samples were subjected to kosher treatment. The koshering process (salting and washing) resulted in a significant reduction in both forced and thermal drip values of the meat sample, but this decrease was not affected by gender.
... Bazı araştırıcılar tarafından ise sığırların nakil işlemine adapte olmasıyla uzun mesafe nakilin oluşturduğu fiziksel ve fizyolojik stresin etkisinin azaldığı bildirilmiştir (5). Uzun mesafe nakiller ile kısa mesafe nakiller karşılaştırıldığında uzun mesafe nakillerde kalp atım oranının daha düşük olduğu, yüklemeden sonra hayvanların sakinleşmesinin bu durumun bir göstergesi olduğu bildirilmiştir (16). ...
... Honkavaara ve ark. (16) tarafından İskandinav ülkelerinde sığır çiftliklerinin küçük kapasiteli olması, nakil araçlarının tam kapasite doldurulmak istenmesi, çoğu nakilin farklı kaynaktan karıştırılmış hayvanlarla yapılması sonucu DFD et sorununun arttığı, bazen karkasların %25 inden daha fazlasında DFD et görüldüğü bildirilmiştir. İspanya'da sığırların kesilmesini takiben etlerin +4 o C'de 24 saat bekletilmesi sonucu pH'nın 5.8'in altına inmemesi sonucu karkas değerinin %30 ile %60 arasında düşürerek cezalandırılmaktadır. Bunun yanısıra İspanya'da genellikle meralardan başlayan hayvan nakillerinde nakil araçlarına yeterli sayıda hayvan yüklendiği, farklı kaynaktan hayvan gruplarının aynı nakil aracında nadiren karıştırıldığı, bu nedenle nakil süresinin kısa olduğu, dolayısıyla DFD et sorunu oranının %5 olduğu (2) ve karkas ezilmelerinin oranının düşük olduğu belirtilmiştir. ...
Çiftlik hayvanları satış, yetiştirme veya kesim gibi çeşitli sebeplerle sürekli olarak nakledilirler ve nakil işlemi sonrası kasaplık sığırlara çeşitli sürelerde kesim öncesi bekletme süresi uygulanır. Nakil işlemi uygun koşullarda yapılsa bile stresli bir işlemdir. Et kalitesine zarar veren ve stres oluşturan birçok etken nakil sırasında kasaplık sığırları etkiler. Nakil ve kesim öncesi bekletme süreleri et kalitesi için önemli faktörlerdir. Artmış nakil süresi ve kısa kesim öncesi bekletme süresi kas glikojen düzeyinde azalmaya ve et pH’sının düşmemesine sebep olur. Böylece DFD (koyu, sert, kuru) et ve ekonomik kayıplar oluşur. Bu nedenle nakil süresi ve kesim öncesi bekletme sürelerinin et kalitesini olumsuz etkilememesi için mümkün olduğunca kısa tutulmaları gereklidir. Bu derlemenin amacı kasaplık sığırların et kalitesi üzerine nakil süresi ve kesim öncesi bekletme süresinin etkisi ile ilgili bilgi vermektir.
... Seasonal changes in temperature can affect the level of glycogen in muscles after slaughter and the ultimate pH, and consequently the quality of meat. An increase in glycolysis results from excessive excitement, starving and stress caused by ambient temperature, which in turn leads to high post-mortem pH values and consequently meat colour is influenced (Kreikemeier et al., 1998;Abril et al., 2001;Honkavaara et al., 2003). The problem of seasonal changes in meat quality caused by temperature stress was studied by many authors (Fabiansson et al., 1984;Jones and Tong, 1989;Mitlöhner et al., 2002;Kadim et al., 2004). ...
... Stress and energy expenditures in pre-slaughter period cause the depletion of muscle glycogen reserves and, consequently, the insufficient post-mortem production of lactic acid. Low acidity in the ageing period results in the change of colour, structure, taste and tenderness of meat (Silva et al., 1999;Immonen et al., 2000;Honkavaara et al., 2003). In animals exposed to pre-slaughter stress DFD (Dark-Firm-Dry) meat, characterized by dark colour at the muscle cut surface, often occurs. ...
The studies were carried out on 614 animals slaughtered in winter and summer seasons. After slaughter and post-slaughter processing the carcasses were evaluated according to EUROP system. The meat pH and its colour were determined in m. longissimus thoracis after 48 hours of chilling. A significant effect of cattle category, season of slaughter and interactions between them on meat pH was found. High pH values were observed mainly in the summer season in the groups of young bulls (A) (6.1) and bulls (B) (6.07). Slightly lower values 5.94 and 5.65, respectively, were observed in both above-mentioned groups in winter. Meat collected from heifers was characterized by proper pH in both analysed seasons whereas meat obtained from cows had pH values above 5.8, independently of the season of slaughter. The differences in colour lightness L* observed among all analysed cattle categories were statistically highly significant (P < 0.0001). The brightest red meat was obtained from heifers and the darkest from cows. The differences between young bulls and bulls in the same slaughter seasons were not large despite considerable variation in the age of slaughtered animals, especially in the summer season. Distinctly higher values of L* (brighter red meat) were found in the winter season in all cattle categories excluding meat from cows in which L* in summer was slightly higher than in winter. The differences in L* between seasons as well as the interaction of cattle category x slaughter season were statistically highly significant (P < 0.0001). For the remaining colour parameters (a*, b*) higher values were also observed in winter compared to summer in all cattle categories. The highest values of a* and b* were found in bulls.
... Vid beblandning av djur, antingen hos producenten, under transport eller på slakteriet uppstår också ökade stressreaktioner hos djuren, liksom de långa väntetiderna på slakteriet (Wiklund, 1989). Denna stress vill man minimera för att undvika att inte stressen orsakar kvalitetsfel på köttet (Honkavaara et al. 2003). ...
... Följden blir att det inte bildas tillräckligt med mjölksyra i muskeln, vilket gör att pH i muskeln blir förhöjt. Detta kvalitetsfel kan både nöt-och griskött få och benämns DFD (dark, firm, dry), och köttet kännetecknas av att det är mörkt till färgen, får en försämrad hållbarhet och har en god förmåga att hålla vatten (Honkavaara et al. 2003). Motsatsen är PSE (pale, soft, exudative), vilket dock endast är ett kvalitetsfel på griskött (Clausen, 1995). ...
... Pre-slaughter stress, such as transportation, lairage at the abattoir and human contact, may result in an unintended deterioration of meat quality parameters, such as tenderness and juiciness, by affecting the animals' metabolic processes (Arthington, Eichert, Kunkle, & Martin, 2003;Honkavaara, Rintasalo, Ylönen, & Pudas, 2003;Warriss, 2003;Immonen & Puolanne, 2000). Adverse impacts in terms of meat tenderness are particularly undesirable, as consumers can demonstrably recognize deviations and are willing to pay more for the guarantee of a tender steak (Lusk, Fox, Schroeder, Mintert, & Koohmaraie, 2010;Wheeler, Shackelford, & Koohmaraie, 2004;Boleman et al., 1997). ...
... The meat tenderness as analyzed by WBSF was found to be significantly different (P < 0.01) between animals slaughtered via gunshot (arithmetic mean (AM): 4.34 kg) and animals stunned with a captive-bolt pistol (AM: 4.77 kg), where the samples of the animals slaughtered via gunshot were more tender ( Table 2). In general, differing WBSF values might be caused by the pre-slaughter stressors, such as human contact, transportation and lairage at the abattoir, that can affect metabolic processes, as reported in numerous studies (Ferguson, Shaw, & Stark, 2007;Arthington et al., 2003;Honkavaara et al., 2003;Warriss, 2003;Immonen & Puolanne, 2000;Lahucky, Palanska, Mojto, Zaujec, & Huba, 1998;Grandin, 1997). ...
Beef quality parameters can be negatively affected by pre-slaughter stress. Slaughter via gunshot directly on the
pasture appears to be suitable for the reduction of pre-slaughter stress by avoiding stressors such as
transportation, lairage and human contact. The effect of slaughtering via gunshot on sensory and objective
measures of beef quality parameters for the Musculus longissimus dorsi of Galloway steers was analyzed and
compared to conventional slaughter at the abattoir using captive-bolt stunning. The Warner-Bratzler shear force
(WBSF) was significantly (P < 0.01) lower for the meat of the animals slaughtered via gunshot (arithmetic mean
(AM) gunshot: 4.34 kg; AM captive-bolt pistol: 4.77 kg). However, trained assessors were not able to recognize
this difference (P > 0.05). No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed for cooking loss and the sensory
quality evaluation of juiciness. As measured by the WBSF, the meat of the animals slaughtered via gunshot was
slightly more tender than was the meat of the animals stunned with a captive-bolt pistol. However, for the cooking loss and sensory evaluations, no effect of the slaughter methods was observed. Nevertheless, this study reveals the potential that slaughter via gunshot provides for the improvement of beef quality.
... Actualmente, los expurgos en la canal de ternero representan un impacto económico importante debido a la pérdida de partes nobles, al coste adicional de retirada de los expurgos y a la consecuente devaluación de la canal. Algunos estudios han demostrado que los expurgos pueden reducirse mediante buenas prácticas de manejo (Nanni Costa et al., 2006), que abarcan desde unas adecuadas instalaciones en granja (Nanni Costa et al., 2006), hasta una adecuada densidad de animales durante el transporte (Eldridge y Winfield, 1988) y un tiempo de espera en matadero óptimo (McNally y Warriss, 1996;Honkavaara et al., 2003). No obstante, no hay ningún estudio que describa el efecto de la interacción entre estos factores presacrificio sobre la incidencia de expurgos en la canal. ...
... Sorprendentemente, el transportar animales de diferentes granjas en el mismo camión disminuyó (P < 0.01) la presencia de expurgos en la canal (Odds Ratio= 0.54), probablemente porque en estos casos el 80% de los camiones mantuvieron los animales separados en diferentes compartimientos. Sin embargo, la distancia recorrida desde la granja al matadero no tuvo ningún efecto, tal y como anteriormente habían descrito Honkavaara et al. (2003) y Wythes et al. (1985). ...
INTRODUCCIÓN Actualmente, los expurgos en la canal de ternero representan un impacto económico importante debido a la pérdida de partes nobles, al coste adicional de retirada de los expurgos y a la consecuente devaluación de la canal. Algunos estudios han demostrado que los expurgos pueden reducirse mediante buenas prácticas de manejo (Nanni Costa et al., 2006), que abarcan desde unas adecuadas instalaciones en granja (Nanni Costa et al., 2006), hasta una adecuada densidad de animales durante el transporte (Eldridge y Winfield, 1988) y un tiempo de espera en matadero óptimo (McNally y Warriss, 1996; Honkavaara et al., 2003). No obstante, no hay ningún estudio que describa el efecto de la interacción entre estos factores presacrificio sobre la incidencia de expurgos en la canal. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el efecto de variables relacionadas con el animal, la granja, el transporte y el manejo en matadero, así como sus interacciones, sobre la presencia de expurgos en las canales.
... After chilling for 24 hours (4 °C), loin samples of about 6 cm long (parallel to the myofibres), 1 cm high and 1 cm wide (square probe of 1 cm x 1 cm surface area) were placed in a Warner-Bratzler shear blade to be sheared perpendicularly to the muscle fibre longitudinal axis in Instron testing machine. Maximum force was recorded and results were expressed as kg cm -2 (Honkavaara et al. 2003). ...
... Beef from the bulls on diet LH had the best sensory quality and lowest shear force values, whereas EH beef had the lowest sensory quality and the highest shear force values. In this study, the measured average Warner-Bratzler shear force value of 4.3 kg cm -2 for the beef was lower than the average value of 5.5 kg cm -2 achieved in a previous study in Finland (Honkavaara et al. 2003). The difference in these shear force values can be explained by prolongation of ageing time, which was 19 days (followed by freezing) in the former and ageing time of eight days (without freezing) in the latter. ...
The aim of the present experiment was to study the effects of (1) digestibility of grass-red clover silage (GCS) and (2) concentrate protein concentration on the performance, eating quality and economy of Hereford bulls during a six months pre-slaughter period, and reared in cold indoor facilities. Thirty-one bulls with an initial live weight (LW) of 289 kg were selected for a 2 × 2 factorial design experiment consisting of two primary growth GCSs harvested at different maturities (in vitro digestible organic matter (OM) in dry matter (DM), D value: Early-cut, E, 750 g kg -1 DM; Late-cut, L, 699 g kg -1 DM) and two concentrate crude protein concentrations (Medium, M, 170 g kg -1 DM; High, H, 210 g kg -1 DM). The concentrate comprised milled barley and pelleted commercial protein compound and was offered daily on average 3.2 kg DM, including 0.45 and 1.13 kg of rapeseed cake in M and H, respectively. Grass-red clover silage was offered ad libitum. The target cold carcass weight was 330 kg.The proportion of concentrate of the total daily DM intake averaged 0.337 during the entire experiment. Treatments had no effect on the daily intake of GCS, total intake of DM, DM intake kg -1 LW 0.75 and metabolizable energy averaging 6.0 and 9.4 kg DM, 97.4 g and 109.4 MJ, respectively. The digestibility of dietary OM and neutral detergent fibre was lower (p < 0.05, 0.733 vs. 0.769 and 0.625 vs. 0.665) on diet L than on diet E. The animals on diet E tended to consume daily on average 1.29 kg less (p < 0.10) DM kg -1 net weight gain than those on diet L. The time to achieve the target carcass weight was on average 18 days longer (p < 0.01) on diet L than on diet E. During the entire experiment the LW gain averaged 1795 and 1609 g d -1 (p < 0.01) on diets E and L, respectively. The concentrate protein concentration did not affect animal performance. Treatments had no significant effect on the kill-out proportion, EUROP carcass conformation and carcass fat classifica-tion which averaged 537 g kg -1 , 6.5 and 3.6, respectively. The eating quality of the tested loins was good. Treatments had only a minor effect on the yield of valuable cuts. It is concluded that the digestibility of silage is important since the early-cut silage improved the growth rate and shortened the finishing period of bulls significantly compared with those fed late-cut silage. The lower yield and, thus, higher unit cost of early-cut silage may, however, invalidate its superiority compared with the late-cut silage. There was no benefit from using concentrate of high protein concentration.
... After slaughter, the carcasses were stored in cold rooms at 2°C for 24 h. Carcasses were weighed while still warm and again at 24 h post mortem (at 1-2°C), when the extent of bruising on the carcass was also estimated visually using an adapted scale proposed by Honkavaara et al. (2003). The back, quarters and ribs were examined using a number scale with 0 (no bruises), 1 (slight bruising), 2 (moderate bruising), and 3 (high bruising). ...
... Those results agree with Gosálvez et al. (2006) and Dalla Costa et al. (2007). The type of bruises observed in our study were more often perianal and around the hipbone, as in Honkavaara et al. (2003) who found a higher prevalence of bruising in similar anatomic areas in cattle. More bruising in winter may be associated with falls, slips or sprains produced during pre-slaughter handling of more stressed and, consequently, more reactive lambs. ...
The present study analyzed the effects of the pre-slaughter logistic chain on some indicators of welfare and meat quality in commercial light lambs at two different seasons. A total of 144 male lambs of the Rasa Aragonesa breed were sampled in a 3×2 factorial design, testing three different stay times at a classification centre (CC). The CC had a central barn for weight classification with a curved race system and scale. Lambs at (or at times over) the correct commercial weight were kept in holding pens in the central barn. Lambs below commercial weight were sent to fattening pens in two large lateral barns (with 50 pens of approximately 18m2 each for about 40). The groups were classified as G0 (only a few hours at the CC), G7 (7days of fattening at the CC) and G28 (28days of fattening at the CC). Two replicates were performed per treatment and two replicates were carried out in the different seasons (summer and winter). The approximate age and weights of the lambs were 100days and 28.3±0.25kg (G0), 93days and 25.5±0.25kg (G7), 72days and 17.3±0.25kg (G28). The physiological stress response variables measured were cortisol, lactate, glucose, creatinine kinase (CK), non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), haematocrit and ratio of neutrophil:lymphocytes (N/L). The ultimate pH on Longissimus dorsi (pH24) and bruising score of the carcass were assessed. Stay time and season had a significant effect on stress variables. Cortisol and lactate levels were highest for G28 (p
... Values are mean ± standard error with different superscripts small letters , a, b, c -within a row and capital letters A, B, C within column differ significantly (p < 0.05), Control-goats moved from lairage to slaughter point gently, EP-goats moved from lairage to slaughter point by ear pulling, HP-goats moved from lairage to slaughter point by hind-leg pulling, n = 9, level of significance p < 0.05, *-value less than 0.001. higher pH due to preslaughter stress resulted in lower lightness, thereby developing darker meat [41,42]. Further, in the present study, an increased lightness value for all samples was reported on day 1 compared to the day 0 values. ...
This study aimed to assess the impact of preslaughter handling method and aging on carcass and meat quality traits in goats. Twenty-seven male goats of Ardi breed were assigned into three treatment groups viz., the control (C), ear pulling (EP), and hind-leg pulling (HP). The carcasses were stored for post-mortem aging periods of 1, 7, and 14 days. On day 0 and the respective aging days, samples of the Longissimus thoracic et lumborum (LTL) muscles were collected and examined for various meat quality parameters. The preslaughter handling of goats significantly increase the total bacterial count, total Enterobacteriaceae count, and total Clostridium count. It also had a significant effect on the pH of LTL muscle during aging. A significantly lower values for pH were recorded in the treatment groups (EP and HP) as compared to the pH of the C group on day 1 of aging. Notably, both treatment groups were found to increase the shear force, hardness, and chewiness of the meat, ultimately compromising its quality. The proper treatment of meat animals, especially goats, is crucial for enhancing carcass and meat quality. Careful preslaughter handling practices by avoiding ear and hind-leg pulling can minimize negative impacts on the final product. Therefore, the significance of conducting this study lies in its potential to enhance animal welfare, improve meat quality, boost economic benefits for producers, and foster consumer confidence in meat products.
... Seasonal changes in temperature can affect the level of glycogen in muscles after slaughter and the ultimate pH, and consequently the quality of meat. An increase in glycolysis results from excessive excitement, starving and stress caused by ambient temperature, which in turn leads to high post-mortem pH values and consequently meat colour is influenced (Honkavaara et.al., 2003) [9] . Many researchers studied the effect of age and sex on meat chemical coposition (Lawrie, 1991, Babiker et al., 1990, Cameron and Enser, 1991, Sen et.,al., 2004, Niedziolka and Pieniak, 2006, El-waziry et al., 2011and Shija et al., 2013 [10,4,6,14,16] . ...
Meat is highly valuable food product for human consumption because it is a good source of all essential amino acids, crude protein, energy, minerals and major source of vitamins that necessary for human nutrition. The distinctive flavor, tenderness, choiceness and agreeable make it one of the preferred food. In this study three types of meat samples, these are sheep, beef and camel (male and female) with different age group (young, medium and old) were selected and allotted to three experimental groups (treatments). The study was conducted to assess the effects of age and sex on chemical composition for different types of meat. A (3×3×2) factorial arrangement in Complete Randomized Design (CRD) was conducted. The study showed highly significant differences (P≤0.001) among different treatments. Camel meat had scored the highest values of moisture, fiber, ash and (F +) while sheep recorded the lowest value. Sheep meat tended to have the highest values of crude protein, fat, (Ca), and (K +) content while camel meat recorded the lowest values. With regard to the age group the study showed that young age group had obtained the highest values of crude protein and (Ca) contents while old age group scored the less values. Medium age group had reported the highest values of moisture, fat, ash and (K +) content followed by the old age group. Concerning interaction effects of meat type, sex and age group female sheep with medium age (FSM) had reported the highest values of moisture while female sheep with young age (FSY) and female beef with young age (FBY) revealed the highest values of protein content. On other hand female beef of young age (FBY) and female sheep of medium age (FSM) scored the highest values of fat content. Irrespective of animal type, female meat of medium age tended to have better values; due to the results we recommended that selecting female medium age group for producing meat with highly quality attributes.
... Since pH is a fundamental quality index for storage, it can be deduced that decline in potency of extracts corresponds with tendency for meat pH to shift from acidity to basicity. Changes in meat pH and colour result from post mortem glycolysis and glycogen conversion into lactic acid (Honkavaara et al. 2003;Abubakar et al. 2021) and the extent of variation influences the properties of meat. Meat soaked in acidic medium affects its hydrogen ion balance, therefore, significant changes on D 5, implies meat post-mortem changes was affected by extract properties on D 5 than D 0 and 10. ...
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a plant highly valued for its functional aromatic compounds. To increase bioavailability of its phytochemicals, a novel approach to extraction using microwave heating and optimization was investigated. Fixed (microwave power and particle size) and variable (heating time and solvent volume) extraction criteria were applied to obtain aqueous extracts, followed by the optimization of the quality of extracts by subjecting the extracts to meat quality test using the central composite design. Thereafter, quality indices (pH, 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance value, refrigeration loss, colour and cooking loss) of meat subjected to storage were determined and the outcomes were analysed using response surface methodology. A total of six optimised solutions were derived but the best extraction criteria (variable) were 87.28 min and 364.26 mL of heating time and solvent volume respectively with a desirability value of 0.624, while microwave power and particle size were kept constant. Afterwards, selected optimised extraction criteria was applied, and black pepper aqueous extract obtained was compositionally analysed using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry. Remarkably, a total of 71 compounds were extracted, comprising element-based compounds such as silicon, nitrogen, sulphur and iodine. Two silicon and nitrogen-based compounds as well as one sulphur and nitrogen-sulphur based compound were obtained while seven iodine-based compounds were discovered alongside other functional compounds. This approach results in green and efficient extraction process with increased bioavailability of functional compounds. However, further modifications of extraction criteria can be applied to upscale the desirability level (score) for increased extraction efficiency.
... Puntos clave como el tiempo de transporte de los animales destinados a faena, tipos de carrocería de los camiones, calidad de las vías, velocidad al conducir, condiciones ambientales, mezcla de categorías y superficie por animal dentro del vagón de transporte, se han estudiado como factores relacionados con la calidad de la carne (Honkavaara et al., 2003;Gupta et al., 2007;Schwartzkopf-Genswein et al., 2012;Brunel et al., 2018;Miranda de la Lama et al., 2018). ...
El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar algunos factores relacionados al transporte de bovinos previo al sacrificio, aportando datos relacionados al bienestar animal de los vacunos del Ecuador, y su impacto económico. Las variables dependientes fueron número de hematomas, decomiso de carne y pérdidas económicas; frente a variables independientes relacionadas a la mezcla de categorías, tipo de categoría, sexo, tipo de cama usada en el transporte y tiempo de viaje, al cual fueron sometidos los animales. Se evidenció que las hembras, específicamente las vacas y vaconas, fueron la categoría más afectada al ser sometidas a las variables de estudio; en contraposición, no se encontró evidencia de que los tiempos prolongados de viaje sean factores predisponentes de lesiones. Palabras clave: bienestar animal; calidad de la carne; ganado bovino; transporte de animales.
... In addition, our findings showed that longdistance transport followed with recovery treatment significantly increased muscle drip loss. This result was in accordance with at least one study (Honkavaara et al., 2003) but in contrast to others (Fernandez et al., 1996;Xin et al., 2018). In the current study, RP-CrPyr supplementation reduced the pH 24 h value and this was attributed to RP-CrPyr increasing the muscle glycogen content and glycolytic potential at the early postmortem period, providing sufficient glycogen and lactate for the reduction of muscle pH at 24 h postmortem. ...
Pre-slaughter long-distance transport resulted in a rapid depletion of muscle glycogen and led to a higher rate of dark, firm and dry (DFD) meat. Therefore, enhancing muscle glycogen reserves is critical for beef cattle prior to transportation. Creatine pyruvate (CrPyr) can provide simultaneous pyruvate and creatine and both are proven to promote the glycogen reserves. This study aimed to investigate the effects of transport treatment and dietary supplementation of rumen-protected (RP)-CrPyr on the meat quality, muscle energy metabolism, and hepatic gluconeogenesis of beef cattle. Twenty 18 month-old male Simmental crossbred cattle (659 ± 16 kg) were allotted 4 treatments based on a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two RP-CrPyr levels (140 g/d or 0 g/d) and two transport treatments (12 h or 5 min): ST_CrPyr0, ST_CrPyr140, LT_CrPyr0 and LT_CrPyr140. Three cattle per group were slaughtered after 30 days of feeding. The interaction of transport and RP-CrPyr had a significant effect on the muscle pH45 min, redness, glycogen content, GP, and AMP level (P < 0.05). Compared with short-distance transport, long-distance transport increased the muscle pH45 min value, redness, yellowness, drip loss, creatine level (P < 0.05), decreased muscle glycogen content, glycolytic potential (GP), and liver glucose amount (P < 0.05). Supplementation of RP-CrPyr decreased the activities of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase in serum, muscle pH24 h value, redness, yellowness, lactate content, AMP level, and AMP/ATP (P < 0.05), increased the muscle glycogen content, GP, hexokinase activity, ATP and ADP levels, and ATP/ADP, liver pyruvate and glucose contents, activity of pyruvate carboxylase in the liver of cattle than those in the nonsupplemented treatments (P < 0.05). These results indicated that dietary RP-CrPyr supplementation might be favorable to improve meat quality and regulatory capacity of energy metabolism of beef cattle suffering long-distance transport followed with recovery treatment by increasing muscle glycogen storage, energy supply, and hepatic gluconeogenesis.
... Kesim sonrası karkasın depolanması ile işleme koşulları etin gevrekliğini ve aromasını etkileyerek son ürünün kalitesini etkileyen önemli faktörlerdir (Honkavaara et al., 2003). Hayvanların kesimlerini takiben hücresel kontrol sistemlerindeki kesintilerden dolayı üretilmiş enzimler gelişigüzel bir şekilde farklı hücre moleküllerini etkilemeye ve sonuçta büyük aromatik olmayan moleküllerin parçalanarak küçük boyutlarda olan, tat ve aroma içeren bileşiklere parçalanmasına neden olurlar (McGee, 2004). ...
Et günlük hayatta vücuda alınması için gerekli olan biyolojik değeri yüksek esansiyel aminoasitler gibi besin maddelerini yeterli miktarda yapısında bulundurması ile insan beslenmesinde önemli yeri olan bir gıdadır. Sağlıklı ve dengeli bir yaşam sürebilmek için en temel besin maddelerinden olan et üretiminin artırılması yanında kalitesini de yükseltme çabaları uzun yıllardır bilim insanlarının önemli çalışma alanlarından birisini oluşturmuştur. Etin lezzet ve kalitesini artırmak için kesim öncesi ve sonrası kalite özellikleri üzerine etkili faktörlerin araştırılması amacıyla yürütülen çalışmalar günümüzde de güncelliğini muhafaza etmektedir. Kesim sonrası karkasların gevrekliğini artırmak ve yumuşak et elde etmek için uygulanan en yaygın yöntemlerden biri de etlerin olgunlaştırılması işlemidir. Avrupa ülkeleri ve ABD’de yaygın olarak kullanılan kuru ve yaş olmak üzere iki tip olgunlaştırma metodu vardır ve son yıllarda bunlara alternatif olarak vakum paketlerde kuru olgunlaştırma yöntemi de yaygınlaşmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, etlerin gevreklik, lezzet ve genel anlamda kalitesinin artırılması için kullanılan kuru ve yaş olgunlaştırma metotlarının genel prensipleri, uygulama yöntemleri, olgunlaştırılan etlerde meydana gelen fizikokimyasal değişimler ve olgunlaştırma işleminin et kalite özellikleri ile mikrobiyal gelişim üzerine etkileri değerlendirilerek konunun detaylı olarak incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır.
... Some investigators showed a reduction in cooking loss after transportation (Apple et al., 1995;Frimpong, Gebresenbet, Bobobee, Aklaku, & Hamdu, 2014;Grandin, 1998). Conversely, an increase in drip loss after transportation has been reported by Honkavaara, Rintasalo, Ylönen, and Pudas (2003). Our results for cooking loss and drip loss in the WTHI and PTG1 groups are similar to this result. ...
... Odore et al. [40] found already a significant increase in cortisol concentrations after short-term transport duration. Honkavaara et al. [41] also observed that animals transported for short journeys had a higher cortisol than animals transported for long journeys (up to 14 hours). Short transport duration can cause acute psychological stress due to the novelty of the transport process, whereas during long transport duration, the exhaustion of the adrenal gland may occur [40]. ...
The aim of this study was to investigate effects of pre-transport diets, transport durations and transport conditions on immune cell subsets, haptoglobin, cortisol and bilirubin of young calves upon arrival at the veal farm. An experiment was conducted with a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 3 factors: 1) provision of rearing milk or electrolytes at the collection center (CC); 2) transport duration (6 or 18 hours) and 3) transport condition (open truck or conditioned truck). Holstein-Friesian and cross-bred calves were used (N = 368; 18 ± 4 days; 45.3 ± 3.3 kg). Blood samples were collected from calves (N = 128) at the collection center, immediately post-transport (T0) and 4, 24, 48 hours, week 1, 3 and 5 post-transport. Blood was analyzed for cortisol, bilirubin, haptoglobin, IgG and IgM. Moreover, cell counts of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, basophils and eosinophils were measured in blood samples taken at the collection center and T0. In these same blood samples, different lymphocyte populations were characterized by flow cytometry, including CD14+ cells, NK cells, δγ+ T cells, CD8+ cells, CD4+ cells and CD21+ cells. Calves transported in the conditioned truck had higher amounts of white blood cell count (WBC) (Δ = 1.39 × 10⁹/l; P = 0.01), monocytes (Δ = 0.21 × 10⁹/l; P = 0.04), neutrophils (Δ = 0.93 × 10⁹/l; P = 0.003), than calves transported in the open truck regardless, of pre-transport diet or transport duration. The study showed that transport condition and duration influenced parts of the innate immune system of young veal calves. Cortisol, bilirubin and WBC seemed to be connected by similar underlying mechanisms in relation to transport conditions. However, it is unclear which specific pathways in the immune system of young calves are affected by different transport conditions (e.g. temperature, humidity, draught).
... Color is an essential organoleptic characteristic that influences meat acceptability and plays a significant role in visual appeal and purchase decisions [38,39]. Low acidity in the ageing period results in changes of color, structure, taste, and meat tenderness [40,41]. A decrease in lightness values is positively related to pH change and occurs at a pH of approximately 6.0 [42]. ...
This study’s objective was to evaluate the effects of distance and stocking density on physicochemical properties and oxidative stability of meat and acute-phase proteins in Brahman crossbred cattle transported by road under hot and humid tropical conditions. Sixty Brahman crossbred heifers were subjected to road transport from a cattle feedlot farm located in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, to a commercial ruminant abattoir in Shah Alam, Selangor. Animals were assigned to long and short distances and high, medium, and low stocking densities. The results revealed that the intensity of response significantly increased in meat samples from animals subjected to long-distance transportation and higher stocking density. Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein and serum amyloid-A values increased considerably and were different from the baseline values recorded at preload. In conclusion, the current results revealed that the color, pH, shear force values, water holding capacity (WHC), glycogen level, and malondilaldehyde assay (MDA) concentrations in meat and acute-phase proteins (APP) were affected by both distances and stocking densities, as evidenced by the significant changes recorded from the parameters above.
... The literature concerning animal transport in general is richer. Authors often feature scientific indicators of the stress that animals face while being transported (GRANDIN, 1997;PALME et al., 2000;KNOWLES and WARRIS, 2007;SCHWARTZKOPF-GENSWEIN et al., 2012), sometimes with a focus on the deteriorating quality of the meat (YOUNG and GREGORY, 2001;HONKAVAARA et al., 2003;FERGUSON and WARNER, 2008) or animal health ( TODD et al., 2000). In other cases, methods of reducing stress levels during transportation ( SCHAEFER et al., 1997) or the hygienic impacts of animal transports are explored (BACH et al., 2004). ...
The paper examined dominant discourses in the debate about live animal transport and trade before reviewing trade figures from the UN Comtrade database. Between 1998 and 2015, the trade in cattle increased slightly, the trade in pigs increased by 76%, while the trade in poultry increased more than doubled. It is shown that an increased division of work is the driving force behind animal trade and that not even animal advocacy groups are effective in reducing the amount of trade. Largely independent of the ethical framework applied, in an environment that pays increasingly tribute to animal welfare, this is problematic. The paper concluded that animal trade results in externalities that should be internalized by governments.
... Some investigators showed a reduction in cooking loss after transportation (Apple et al., 1995;Frimpong, Gebresenbet, Bobobee, Aklaku, & Hamdu, 2014;Grandin, 1998). Conversely, an increase in drip loss after transportation has been reported by Honkavaara, Rintasalo, Ylönen, and Pudas (2003). Our results for cooking loss and drip loss in the WTHI and PTG1 groups are similar to this result. ...
This study was designed to reveal the role of posttransportation grazing on the physiological condition and meat quality traits of Black Bengal goats. Twenty‐four castrated male Black Bengal goats were divided into a control (untransported) group and three treated groups: Walking and Transportation with Human Interference group (WTHI) (30 min walking before 6 hr transport and then 30 min walking with human interference), posttransportation grazing for 48 hr (PTG1), and posttransportation grazing for 72 hr (PTG2). The WTHI and PTG1 groups had a significant reduction in their blood concentrations of tri‐iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), and a significantly higher neutrophil and lymphocyte (N:L) ratio compared with those of the control group. Blood concentrations of T3 and T4 and the N:L ratio of PTG2 returned to the control level after 72 hr of grazing. The final pH and water‐holding capacity values of meat were significantly higher in the WTHI group than in the control group, but those in the PTG2 group returned to the control level after 72 hr of grazing. These results demonstrate that posttransportation grazing for 72 hr is effective for recovering from damage induced by transportation stress.
... In addition, seasonal variations of temperature can affect the level of glycogen in muscles after slaughter and their ultimate pH, the two parameters describing the meat quality (Węglarz, 2010). Excessive excitement, starving or stress caused by extreme temperature can increase the glycolysis, then lead to high postmortem pH values which could influence the meat quality (Abril et al., 2001;Honkavaara et al., 2003). ...
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of slaughter season on the postmortem metabolic characteristics of dromedary camel longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle. A total number of thirty male camels (5-7 years old) were included in this work. Ten camels were slaughtered according to season of the year (winter, spring and summer). The samples were analyzed for muscle pH, muscle temperature, electrical conductivity, drip loss (DL), cooking loss(CL) and thawing loss (TL). No significant (p> 0.05) effect of slaughter season on muscle pH and cooking loss was observed. However, slaughter season significantly (p< 0.05) influenced the electrical conductivity, muscle temperature, drip loss and thawing loss. All of these parameters were higher (p< 0.05) during summer as compared to winter and / or spring seasons. Moreover, several correlations between different studied parameters were reported. In conclusion, these findings indicated that slaughter season had a significant (p< 0.05) effect on several postmortem metabolic parameters of camels. Therefore, this study demonstrated that the electrical conductivity late postmortem measurement can be used as a suitable method for the evaluation of camel's meat quality.
... The Australian Carcass Bruises Scoring System (ACBSS) devised by Anderson and Horder (1979) classifies the severity of bruising according to the surface area of the lesion in three groups: 'slight',´medium´and´heavy'. The Finnish Meat Research Institute has developed a carcass-bruising evaluation system based on the color and severity of the trauma (Honkavaara, Rintasalo, Ylonen, & Pudas, 2003). While in several South American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay), a bruising grading classification is currently used which is based on the severity of the bruise and the tissues affected in the injured area. ...
Animal welfare has become an important subject of public, economic and political concern, leading to the need to validate indicators that are feasible to use at abattoirs. A systematic review was carried out, which identified 72 cattle welfare indicators (CWI) that were classified into four categories (physiological, morphometric, behavioral and meat quality). Their validity and feasibility for use in abattoirs were evaluated as potential measures of cattle welfare during transportation to the abattoir and at the abattoir itself. Several highly valid indicators were identified that are useful to assess welfare at abattoirs, including body condition score, human-animal interactions, vocalizations, falling, carcass bruising, and meat pH. In addition, some intermediate valid indicators are useful and should be investigated further. Information along the food chain could be used systematically to provide a basis for a more-risk-based meat inspection. An integrated system based on the use of key indicators defined for each inspection step with the setting of alarm thresholds could be implemented.
... Many beef cattle breeds are renowned for their high productivity and ability to produce high-quality beef that meets consumer requirements (Bindon and Jones, 2001;Burrow et al., 2004;Nogalski et al., 2013). The most important genetic and environmental factors that contribute to beef quality are cattle breed, gender, early maturation, growth rate, management conditions, feeding regime, age at slaughter, pre-slaughter animal handling and post-slaughter carcass processing (Mandell et al., 1997;Honkavaara et al., 2003;Litwińczuk et al., 2006;Bures and Barton, 2012;Domaradzki et al., 2016). In Kazakhstan, the top beef-producing cattle breeds are Kazakh White headed, Kazakh Aulie-Ata and Steppe Cattle. ...
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of cattle breed on carcass traits and meat quality of bulls fattened semi-intensively and slaughtered at 18 months of age. The animals were divided into three experimental groups: Group AA - 16 Angus bulls, group WK - 19 Kazakh White headed bulls, group AK - 20 Kazakh Aulie-Ata bulls. All bulls were slaughtered at the end of the fattening period. Angus bulls had the highest (p≤0.05) final body weight (494.9 kg) at 18 months of age. Average daily gain was also highest (p≤0.01 and p≤0.05) in group AA (863 g). Angus bulls were characterized by the highest carcass dressing percentage (56.8%) and the highest fat content (3.4%). Carcass length and thigh circumference were significantly (p≤0.05) higher in AA bulls than in AK bulls. The content of lean meat and fat in the carcass was highest (79.4%, p≤0.05) in AA bulls and lowest in AK bulls. Samples of semitendinosus muscle collected from AA bulls had the highest content of dry matter (24.89%), protein (22.5%) and fat (2.27%, p≤0.05). © 2017 Indira Aitzhanova, Doskali K. Naimanov, Bartosz Miciński, Sara Dzik and Jan Miciński.
... Long time in transportation and handling during transportation are some of the stress factors that contribute to loss of meat quality primarily due to glycogen depletion in the muscle (Arthington et al., 2003;Hoffman et al., 1998;Honkavaara et al., 2003;Malena et al., 2007;Schaefer et al., 1997). Glycogen depletion causes high ultimate pH (pH24) which in turn results to dark red colour (Bartoš et al., 1993;Kreikemeier et al., 1998a;Mounier et al., 2006), increased tenderness variation and water holding capacity (Apple et al., 2005;Silva et al., 1999;Zhang et al., 2005). ...
... Long time in transportation and handling during transportation are some of the stress factors that contribute to loss of meat quality primarily due to glycogen depletion in the muscle (Arthington et al., 2003;Hoffman et al., 1998;Honkavaara et al., 2003;Malena et al., 2007;Schaefer et al., 1997). Glycogen depletion causes high ultimate pH (pH24) which in turn results to dark red colour (Bartoš et al., 1993;Kreikemeier et al., 1998a;Mounier et al., 2006), increased tenderness variation and water holding capacity (Apple et al., 2005;Silva et al., 1999;Zhang et al., 2005). ...
... However, maintaining balance in a moving vehicle, which is a new experience, while standing and sometimes with little space to move may be hard to achieve. It was also reported that long transportation hours in poor condition transportation vehicles may be unfavourable to animal welfare [26]; while it has also been pointed out that prolonged experience of the same stressor results in familiarity [69][70][71][72]. However, Mota-Rojas et al [14] reported that transportation to the abattoir should not take more than 16 hours. ...
The current review seeks to highlight the concerns that have been raised on pre-slaughter stress, contributing factors and its consequent effects on cattle behavioural responses and the quality of beef; inter-linking the activities involved from birth to slaughter. Such information is crucial in light of the consumer concerns on overall animal welfare, quality of meat and food security. Slaughter animals are exposed to different conditions during production and transportation to abattoirs on a daily basis. However; the majority of studies that have been done previously singled out different environments in the meat production chain, while conclusions have been made that the welfare of slaughter animals and the quality of meat harvested from them is dependent on the whole chain. Behaviour is a critical component used to evaluate the animals’ wellbeing and it has been reported to have an effect on product quality. Apart from the influence of on-farm, transportation and abattoir conditions, the genetic background of the animal also affects how it perceives and responds to certain encounters. Stress activates the animals’ hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity, triggering release of various stress hormones such as catecholamines and cortisol, thus glycogen depletion prior slaughter, elevated ultimate pH and poor muscle-meat conversion. Pre-slaughter stress sometimes results to cattle attaining bruises, resulting to the affected parts of the carcass being trimmed and condemned for human consumption, downgrading of the carcass and thus profit losses.
... Long-haul transportation elevates plasma proteins which induce mild metabolic acidosis as a result of the loss of body water (Parker et al. 2003). Gallo et al. (2000Gallo et al. ( , 2001, Honkavaara et al. (2003), Marahrens et al. (2003), Tadich et al. (2000), and Villarroel et al. (2003aVillarroel et al. ( ,2003b) revealed significant changes in stress indicators during the long-distance transport of cattle. Moreover, transport duration has certain economic impactsmost obviously weight loss in cattle ). ...
The number of animals that die during transport to a slaughterhouse or shortly after being delivered to a slaughterhouse may serve as an indicator of animal welfare during transport. The aim of this study was to determine the mortality rate in cattle resulting from transport to slaughter in the Czech Republic in the period from 2009 to 2014, and to investigate the effect of travel distance and season of the year. Transport-related mortality rates were recorded for all categories of cattle for the following travel distances: up to 50 km, 51-100 km, 101-200 km and over 200 km. Higher mortality rates occurred with shorter travel distances (<50 km and 51-100 km) when compared to longer travel distances (101-200 km and > 200 km), with a significant difference (P < 0.01) between short and long travel distances being found in feeders and dairy cows. Also, the season of the year had a significant impact on the mortality rate among transported cattle. The highest mortality rate in all categories was observed in spring months. The lowest mortality rate was found in autumn months for fat cattle and dairy cows and in winter months for feeders and calves.
... The postmortem storage and processing conditions Campbell et al., 2001; Sitz et al., 2006; Warren and Kastner, 1992) Improved (Parrish et al., 1991; Sitz et al., 2006; Warren and Kastner, 1992) Flavor Flavorsome (Campbell et al., 2001; King et al., 1995; Warren and Kastner, 1992) Mostly unchanged (King et al., 1995) Yield Low (Laster et al., 2008; Smith et al., 2014) High (Laster et al., 2008; Smith et al., 2014) Cost High (Sitz et al., 2006) Slightly higher (Sitz et al., 2006) fect the flavor and tenderness of the meat (Perry, 2012), and are important for improving the final quality of the product (Honkavaara et al., 2003). Animal slaughtering results in an interruption in the cell control systems, and enzymes are produced that start attacking different cell molecules indiscriminately, thus, turning large flavorless molecules into smaller flavorsome fragments (McGee, 2004). ...
Animal muscles are stored for specific period (aging) at refrigerated temperatures, during and after which the living muscles start to convert into meat and thus, attain certain superior properties in the final product. Proteolysis, lipolysis, and oxidation are the major biochemical processes involved during the postmortem aging of meat that affect the tenderness, juiciness, and flavor, as well as sometimes may introduce certain undesirable traits. This review analyzes the role of pre- and post-mortem factors that are important for aging and their effect on the chemical and physical changes in the "dry- and wet-aged meat." Thus, if the meat processing manufacturers optimize the effects of aging for specific muscles, the palatability, color, and the shelf life of the aged meat products could be significantly enhanced.
... In contrast, Grigor et al. (2004) observed an effect of transport on the b* value: Veal of transported calves was less yellow than that of calves slaughtered on farm, while redness, shear force, tenderness, juiciness and flavour were left unaffected. Drip loss could also be affected by lengthy transport, as Honkavaara et al. (2003) found a lower drip loss in beef from heifers and bulls transported over short distances compared with long distance transports. For rabbits it was found that pH value, a* value and shear force value increased with longer transport time while L* values decreased (Liste et al., 2006). ...
Meat-producing animals such as cattle, pig and poultry are today usually raised in modern intensive indoor farming systems and, after finishing, transported to an abattoir where they are stunned and slaughtered. There is increasing concern among consumers about welfare of these animals, and that the poor welfare an animal suffers in the course of its life may have a negative influence on the quality of the meat deriving from this animal. Housing systems can have a high influence on animal welfare but there is little evidence that meat quality is impaired under usual management conditions. Transport stress can cause poor carcass quality, too low pH values and possibly PSE (pigs, turkey) or DFD meat (cattle) when the animals are transported for too long or under inappropriate conditions. Stunning and slaughter seem to have the highest impact on both animal welfare and meat quality. In order to protect the animals and meat quality, a critical review of all common housing systems, allowed transport and currently applied stunning methods should be carried out. 'Animal-friendliness' should become an additional and important quality trait for meat. This will meet consumer demands and will influence their purchasing decision. It is therefore necessary to further promote labelling systems, which give the consumer the choice between different product lines. Successful meat production in future has to be based on transparency of the food chain, displaying the safety of the product and the health and the welfare of the animals that provide the meat.
... However, road transportation especially long-distance transportation as a stressor could do much harm to the dairy industry. The economic losses due to transport stress include decreased body weight (Greer et al., 2011;Gonzalez et al., 2012), decreased milk production and changes in meat quality (Honkavaara et al., 2003;Hoffman and Fisher, 2010;Smiecinska et al., 2011) and higher incidence of diseases. Significantly higher egg production of Dicrocoelium dendriticum was observed in the feces of transported ewes (Sotiraki et al., 1999). ...
Spermatogenesis, is a complex process of precisely regulated intracellular events, where it is affected by many factors. Long-distance transport of animals is one of the stressors that may influence spermatogenesis and sperm quality. The present study chose luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), androgen receptor (AR), and heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) as our target genes to investigate their mRNA and protein expression in the testes of long-distance transported (about 1000 km) mice. Histological analysis showed that there was a reduction in the thickness of the seminiferous epithelium in the transported mice, and a significant decrease in body weight and sperm count in the epididymis was also observed. mRNA expression was determined by QPCR in the testis of transported and control mice. The levels for AR decreased significantly in transported mice. LHR and HSP70 expression in the testes of the transported mice was slightly higher than that of control mice but did not reach a significant level. A similar tendency of protein expression was also observed by Western blot analysis. The levels of LHR and HSP70 increased slightly after transportation. However, none of the changes were statistically significant compared with the control mice. In conclusion, long-distance transport has an adverse effect on reproductive organs and spermatozoa in adult mice.
... After slaughter, glycogen is converted into lactic acid, which contributes toward meat that is tasteful, tender and of overall good quality. Stress before or during slaughter decreases glycogen content and reduces meat quality [28,29]. ...
Recent studies support the hypothesis that the glucocorticoid prednisolone can be formed from cortisol under influence of stress. To evaluate this hypothesis, urine samples of supposedly non-stressed bovines (at the farm) and bovines subjected to two different forms of stress, i.e. upon slaughter (natural stress) or following administration of a synthetic analogue of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (pharmacologically-induced stress) were analysed, and their urinary cortisol and prednisolone levels evaluated. At the farm, none of the examined samples exhibited urinary prednisolone levels higher than the CCα (0.09μg L(-1)). Upon slaughter or following synthetically induced stress, significantly positive correlations between cortisol and prednisolone could be demonstrated, 0.52 and 0.69, respectively. Of all prednisolone-positive urine samples (n = 84), only one showed a prednisolone levels (i.e. 6.45μg L(-1)) above the threshold level of 5μg L(-1) suggested by the European Reference Laboratories. Subsequently, an untargeted analysis was performed (metabolic fingerprinting) to characterize the urinary metabolite patterns related to the three different cattle groups. In this context, multivariate statistics assigned a total of 169 differentiating metabolites as playing a key role in the urinary pattern in response to stress. Three of these ions were defined as steroids using an in-house created database. As a result, the metabolic fingerprinting approach proved to be a powerful tool to classify unknown bovine urine samples that tested positive for prednisolone, while providing information about the stress status of the animal.
Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
... In contrast, Grigor et al. (2004) observed an effect of transport on the b* value: Veal of transported calves was less yellow than that of calves slaughtered on farm, while redness, shear force, tenderness, juiciness and flavour were left unaffected. Drip loss could also be affected by lengthy transport, as Honkavaara et al. (2003) found a lower drip loss in beef from heifers and bulls transported over short distances compared with long distance transports. For rabbits it was found that pH value, a* value and shear force value increased with longer transport time while L* values decreased (Liste et al., 2006). ...
... Type of transportation used for the buffaloes in this research is categorized as shortterm transportation and can cause stress on the animal. The results obtained in this research were also consistent with those of reported by Honkavaara et al. (2003) who found that the concentration of cortisol would rise then fell significantly during short-term transportation (approximately 1.5 h) compared to the long-term transportation (7-10 h). ...
Transportation may cause stress that affects livestock’s health. This research was conducted to observe the effect of transportation on the profiles of blood cortisol, triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratio as stress indicators during 15 days post-transportation. Four females swamp buffaloes, 2-yr-old were used in this research. The animals were transported using an open truck, along 15 kilometers distance for 2 h. During acclimatization, the animals were fed grass twice a day and access to water ad libitum. Blood was collected at the time of arrival and everyday for 15 d post-transportation. Cortisol, T3 and T4 were analyzed using Radioimmunoassay (RIA) method. Blood smears were also prepared and stained with Giemsa for leukocyte differential counts. Results showed a significant relation (P1.5 in average throughout the period of the research. It is concluded that transportation causes stress and therefore changes metabolic process.
... Finally, mean value was calculated for each loin. For each measurement, the recorded shear value expressed the maximum force as kg/cm 2 (Honkavaara et al., 2003). The middle part of the loin weighing 0.5 kg was used for sensory evaluation. ...
The objective of the experiment was to study performance and meat quality aspects of purebred Hereford (Hf) and Charolais (Ch) bulls and Hf×Ch crossbred bulls offered grass silage-grain-based rations and raised to heavy carcass weights. The average slaughter age for all breeds was 565 days and the mean carcass weights for Hf, Hf×Ch and Ch bulls were 414, 476 and 507 kg, respectively. The Ch bulls tended to achieve higher weight gains, produced less fat and had higher percentage of valuable cuts in comparison with Hf bulls. Breed group had no significant effects on the beef flavour of Musculus longissimus lumborum, but tenderness and juiciness were better in meat of the Hf bulls than that of the Ch bulls. The crossbred Hf×Ch bulls produced heavier and better conformed carcasses compared to pure Hereford bulls which indicate that this type of crossbreeding can enhance beef production under the conditions studied.
... After chilling for 24 hours (4 °C), loin samples about 6 cm long (parallel to the myofibres), 1 cm high and 1 cm wide (square probe of 1 cm × 1 cm surface area) were placed in a Warner-Bratzler shear blade to be sheared perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the muscle fibres in an Instron testing machine. The maximum force was recorded and results were expressed as kg (cm -2 ) -1 (Honkavaara et al. 2003) because the sheared meat sample had a height of 1.0 cm and a width of 1.0 cm and a length of 6.0 cm. Thus the shear force is expressed as kg per sheared surface area of 1.0 cm 2 . ...
The objectives of this experiment with Hereford (Hf) and Charolais (Ch) bulls offered grass silage-based diets were to determine the effects on performance, carcass traits and meat quality of the proportion of concentrate in the diet, and the inclusion of rapeseed meal (RSM) in the barley-based concentrate. The two concentrate proportions were 200 and 500 g kg-1 dry matter, fed without or with RSM. The Ch bulls tended to achieve higher gain, produced less fat, had a higher percentage of meat from high-priced joints and had a lower degree of marbling in their meat compared to the Hf bulls. Dry matter and energy intakes, growth performance and carcass conformation improved with increasing concentrate level. Intake parameters and conformation improved more with the Ch bulls than with the Hf bulls as a consequence of increased concentrate allowance. RSM had only limited effects on the performance, carcass traits or meat quality.
... After chilling for 24 hours (4 °C), loin samples about 6 cm long (parallel to the myofiber direction), 1 cm high and 1 cm wide (square probe of 1 cm × 1 cm surface area) were placed in a Warner-Bratzler shear blade to be sheared perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the muscle fibres in an Instron testing machine (Instron model 4301 with cross head speed of 200 mm min -1 ). The maximum force was recorded and results were expressed as kg (cm 2 ) -1 (Honkavaara et al. 2003). For the sensory analysis, four 1.5 mm thick slices from each sample were heated to 68 °C in a rolling grill (Palux Rotimat, Germany) and evaluated by six trained sensory panelists for tenderness, juiciness and beef flavour. ...
The objective of the experiment was to study the performance, carcass traits and meat quality of purebred Aberdeen Angus (Ab) and Limousin (Li) bulls and Ab×Li crossbred bulls offered grass silage-grain-based rations and raised to heavy carcass weights. The experiment included eight bulls in all breed groups. The average slaughter age for all breeds was 540 days and the mean carcass weights for the Ab, Ab×Li and Li bulls were 391, 399 and 439 kg, respectively. Significant breed differences in carcass traits and meat quality were observed. The Limousin bulls tended to achieve a higher conformation score, produced less fat and had a higher percentage of valuable cuts compared with the Aberdeen Angus bulls. The crossbred Ab×Li bulls produced better conformed carcasses and a higher share of the rounds compared to the pure Ab bulls which indicate that this type of crossbreeding can enhance beef production under the studied conditions.
... The authors explained this change as adaptation of the animals to the journey. The cattle adapt during long journeys (Gregory & Grandin, 1998;Honkavaar, Rintasalo, Ylonen, & Pudas, 2003;Tarrant et al., 1992) and begin to feel less stressed inside the truck as the journey continues (Mounier et al., 2006). McVeigh and Tarrant (1982) found that the resting muscle glycogen content in cattle was increased by feeding barley and decreased by fasting. ...
Consumers demand for high quality and economic meat products have been the driving forces to develop enzymatic methods to add value to lower quality meat pieces, thus maximizing the efficiency of carcass utilization and hence improving the market value. Meat processing involves different transformations in the animal muscle after slaughtering, which results in changes in tenderness, aroma and colour, determining the quality of the final meat product. Enzymatic glycolysis, proteolysis and lipolysis play a key role in the conversion of muscle into meat. The accurate control of enzymatic reactions in meat muscle is complicated due to the numerous influential factors, as well as its low reaction rate. Moreover, exogenous enzymes are also used in the meat industry to produce restructured products (transglutaminase) and to promote meat tenderization and flavor (papain, bromelain, ficin, zingibain, cucumisin and actinidin).
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of indigenous transport methods on hormonal responses and physico-chemical meat quality in lambs. The lambs (n=10) were exposed to different indigenous transport methods: NT (non-transport group), DT (3 h direct transport), WT (30-minute walking before 3 h direct transport), and WTW HJ (30-minute walking before 3h transport and afterwards 30-minute walking in human movement). Blood samples were collected via jugular venipuncture from TS and NT lambs. Indigenous transport methods significantly decreased the functions of T 3 , T 4 and TSH hormones compared to the non-transport group. On opposite, cortisol values were triggered by straight-cut journey and found decreased with the rest. Lambs upon exposure to indigenous transport methods showed elevated ultimate pH values than non-transport lambs. Both drip and cooking loss was significantly lower in indigenous transport protocols as compared to the control. The opposite trend was observed in case of water-holding capacity parameter. CIE L*, b* and a* values were significantly altered by indigenous transport methods. In conclusion, the present study indicated that indigenous transport methods may able to disturb the hormonal functions and also to produce poor grade lamb.
Die Industrialisierung der Tierhaltung und die Konzentration auf große Produktionsmengen haben dazu geführt, dass die Tötung von Nutztieren fast ausschließlich in wenigen großen Schlachthöfen stattfindet. Von den rund 3,4 Mio. Rindern, die 2019 in Deutschland geschlachtet werden, werden fast 78 % in den 10 größten Schlachthöfen Deutschlands geschlachtet. Lokale Metzgereien und kleine Schlachthöfe können die strengen gesetzlichen Hygienevorschriften oft nicht einhalten. Die Tiere müssen daher lebend transportiert werden, wobei das Verladen, der Transport, die ungewohnte Umgebung, die Trennung von der Herde und das Zusammentreffen mit unbekannten Tieren und Menschen bekanntermaßen Stress verursachen. Transporte und Stress vor der Schlachtung sind nicht nur eine Frage des Tierschutzes, sondern haben auch negative Auswirkungen auf die Fleischqualität. Durch die Anpassung der EU-Verordnung 853/2004 im Jahr 2021 wurde die Schlachtung im Herkunftsbetrieb als offizielle Schlachtmethode zugelassen. Obwohl es keine Untersuchungen zur Schlachtung von Rindern im Herkunftsbetrieb mit Bolzenschussbetäubung gibt, ist das Fleisch von Rindern, die mittels Kugelschuss auf der Weide geschlachtet werden, tendenziell zarter, und das Stresslevel kann im Vergleich zu Rindern, die im Schlachthof geschlachtet werden, reduziert werden. Dies führt zu der Annahme, dass auch die Schlachtung von Rindern im Herkunftsbetrieb mit Bolzenschussbetäubung zu einer höheren Fleischqualität führen und den Stress vor der Schlachtung verringern könnte. Zu diesem Zweck wurden in meiner Studie 27 Rinder aus sieben verschiedenen Betrieben untersucht, die entweder im Herkunftsbetrieb mit Bolzenschussbetäubung, mittels Kugelschuss auf der Weide, oder in einem Schlachthof geschlachtet wurden. Zur Bewertung dieser drei Schlachtmethoden aus Sicht der Fleischqualität und des Tierschutzes wurden Fleischqualitätsparameter und Stressindikatoren ermittelt. Anhand der Cortisolgehalte im Stichblut konnten keine signifikanten Unterschiede in der Stressbelastung der verschiedenen Schlachtmethoden ermittelt werden. Tendenzen zu weniger gestressten Tieren bei der Schlachtmethode Kugelschuss und der Schlachtmethode Schlachtung im Herkunftsbetrieb mit Bolzenschussbetäubung im Vergleich zum Schlachthof konnten dennoch sichtbar gemacht werden. Große Unterschiede in den Cortisolkonzentrationen bei Rindern, die im Herkunftsbetrieb mit Bolzenschussbetäubung geschlachtet wurden, weisen darauf hin, dass das Stresslevel innerhalb des Verfahrens variiert und von der individuellen Durchführung abhängt. Weitere Forschung wird benötigt, um dieses Verfahren zu verbessern und Empfehlungen für die praktische Anwendung unter Berücksichtigung der unterschiedlichen Betriebsstrukturen zu geben. Die Ergebnisse der Qualitätsparameter waren nicht eindeutig. Ein signifikanter Einfluss des Schlachtverfahrens konnte nur auf den End-pHWert und den Rotton (a L*a*b* System) festgestellt werden. Entgegen unseren Erwartungen war der End-pH-Wert im Fleisch von Rindern, die im Herkunftsbetrieb durch Bolzenschussbetäubung geschlachtet wurden, signifikant niedriger als im Fleisch von Rindern, die mittels Kugelschuss geschlachtet wurden. Darüber hinaus war das Fleisch von Rindern, die im Herkunftsbetrieb geschlachtet wurden, signifikant röter als das von Rindern, die mittels Kugelschuss geschlachtet wurden. Dies widerspricht der Annahme, dass mehr Stress zu weniger rotem Fleisch führt. Andererseits entspricht es den signifikant niedrigeren pH-Werten des Fleisches von Rindern, die im Herkunftsbetrieb mit Bolzenschussbetäubung geschlachtet wurden, denn niedrige pH-Werte führen zu röterem Fleisch. Exploratorische Ergebnisse, in denen nur zwei Schlachtmethoden miteinander verglichen wurden, konnten klarere Trends zeigen. Im Vergleich zu Fleisch von Tieren aus dem Schlachthof, konnten tiefere End-pH-Werte und tendenziell zarteres und saftigeres Fleisch bei Rindern, welche im Herkunftsbetrieb mit Bolzenschussbetäubung geschlachtet wurden, gefunden werden. Um diese Ergebnisse zu bestätigen und die Fleischqualität in Folgestudien eindeutiger je nach Schlachtverfahren zu bewerten, müssen entweder die Umwelteinflüsse reduziert werden oder die Datenmenge muss größer sein.
La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo dilucidar los factores relacionados al transporte que tienen influencia sobre el pH y la temperatura del músculo post mortem, en la canal de los animales faenados en el camal frigorífico Nobol (GAI) de la provincia del Guayas, Ecuador. Se muestrearon 605 bovinos; las variables independientes como mezcla de categorías, tipos de categorías, sexo, tiempo de viaje y tipo de cama usado para el transporte fueron evaluados como posibles causas de variaciones del pH y temperatura. Se identificó que la temperatura de los bovinos sometidos a más de 3 horas de viaje y camas a base de residuo de caña generan una elevación de la temperatura corporal, afectando en la calidad de la carne y produciendo carnes de tipo pálidas, blandas y exudativas (PSE); corroborando que los factores relacionados al transporte son precursores de estrés en los semovientes.
Palabras clave: vacas; camal; PSE; DFD; movilidad
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of indigenous transport methods on hormonal responses and physico-chemical meat quality in lambs. The lambs (n=10) were exposed to different indigenous transport methods: NT (non-transport group), DT (3 h direct transport), WT (30-minute walking before 3 h direct transport), and WTW HJ (30-minute walking before 3h transport and afterwards 30-minute walking in human movement). Blood samples were collected via jugular venipuncture from TS and NT lambs. Indigenous transport methods significantly decreased the functions of T 3 , T 4 and TSH hormones compared to the non-transport group. On opposite, cortisol values were triggered by straight-cut journey and found decreased with the rest. Lambs upon exposure to indigenous transport methods showed elevated ultimate pH values than non-transport lambs. Both drip and cooking loss was significantly lower in indigenous transport protocols as compared to the control. The opposite trend was observed in case of water-holding capacity parameter. CIE L*, b* and a* values were significantly altered by indigenous transport methods. In conclusion, the present study indicated that indigenous transport methods may able to disturb the hormonal functions and also to produce poor grade lamb.
To determine the stress resistance of steers to long distance transport, two field studies were conducted. First, the physiological responses of 16 steers reared in two farms (Farms I and II) that adopted different suckling and growing systems were compared. Although big difference between the farms was found in the total time of management procedures at the growing stage (Farm I : 233.1 vs. Farm II : 48.8 min/head), physiological responses of steers after transport were not significantly different between farms. Serum ALT concentration and heart rate was higher just after transport compared with I wk after transport in the steers reared in Farm I (both P<0.01), but not in the steers reared in Farm II. The time length of hand procedures with touch at the growing stage was longer in Farm 11 (2.9 min/head) than in Farm I (0.7 min/head). Secondly, the physiological responses of 16 steers reared in two milk feeding systems were compared. The mean liveweight of steers reared in a group in automatic milk feeding (321.4±22.9kg) was heavier than that of steers individually reared in hand milk feeding (298.2±19.4kg) (P<0.01). The time length of hand procedures with touch at the growing stage was longer in automatic milk feeding (23.7 min/head) than in hand milk feeding (0.7 min/head). Serum pH was lower just after transport compared with I wk after transport in the steers reared in hand milk feeding (P<0.05), but not in the steers reared in automatic milk feeding. Serum ALT concentration (P<0.01) and heart rate (P<0.05) were higher just after transport compared with I wk after transport in the steers reared in hand milk feeding, but not in the steers in automatic milk feeding. These results indicate relatively low stress resistance to transport in calves reared in the management system that the stockpersons have little contact with their cattle at growing stage. Furthermore, group housing from suckling stage would make easy for calves to adapt to a novel environment and unfamiliar cattle after transported.
The present thesis had three main studies. The first was the identification and description of critical points in the pre-slaughter logistic chain in lambs. The second was to assess the effects of the pre-slaughter logistic chain on some indicators of welfare and meat quality in commercial light lambs. Finally, the third study analyzes the short-term behavioural and physiological profile after social mixing. The aim of the first study is to identify critical points in the pre-slaughter process that could potentially affect the welfare of the animals and the quality of their meat. A survey included questionnaires that were completed by farmers/producers (n=60), classification centres (n=11), hauliers (n=30) and abattoirs (n=20). Data were collected on methods and facilities used for loading and unloading, transport times, types of vehicle(s) and abattoir practices. The average journey time was 131 ± 74 min, with a mean transport distance of 110 ± 79 km. In general, the logistic transport chain for lambs seems to be acceptable. This is partly demonstrated by the low incidence of DFD meats < 5%.The second study analyzed the effects of the pre-slaughter logistic chain on some indicators of welfare and meat quality in commercial light lambs at two different seasons. A total of 144 male lambs of the Rasa Aragonesa breed were sampled in a 3 x 2 x 2 factorial design, testing three different stay times at a classification centre (CC). The groups were classified as G0 (only a few hours at the CC), G7 (7 days of fattening at the CC) and G28 (28 days of fattening at the CC). Two replicates were performed per treatment and two replicates were carried out in the different seasons (summer and winter). The physiological stress response variables measured were cortisol, lactate, glucose, creatine kinase (CK), non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), haematocrit and ratio of neutrophil : lymphocytes (N/L). The meat variables measured were analysed in terms of pH, WHC, texture, colour (L*a*b*, chroma and hue), carcass bruising and sensorial analysis. Cortisol and lactate levels were highest for G28 (p<0.01) while haematocrit was highest for G0 (p<0.05). The G0 and G7 lambs had higher levels of glucose than G28 (p<0.05). The highest WBC count was observed for G28 (p<0.001). In winter, cortisol and glucose levels were higher, while in summer CK was highest (p≤0.001). In summer, N/L was significantly higher in G28 (p≤0.001). Cold temperatures had a significant effect on pH24 and bruising score (p≤0.001). Stay time had a significant effect (p<0.001) on meat texture while season had a significant effect (p<0.001) on all variables analyzed. Overall, stay time had less effect on meat quality than season and the interaction between treatments was not significant. Meat from lambs slaughtered in winter had some dark-cutting characteristics, with darker colour, higher ultimate pH, tougher texture and lower press juice. The stay time at the CC had less effect on sensorial meat quality than season, and the interaction between the two fixed effects was significant for tenderness and fat flavour intensity. Season had a significant effect on lamb odour intensity, juiciness, liver and metallic flavour intensity. In general, the panel preferred meat from animals given the summer as opposed to the winter and found it was tenderer and had a better juiciness. The results of our study suggest that the pre-slaughter logistic chain was a source of stress for the lambs, affecting their physiological state and meat quality. The third study analyzes the short-term behavioural and physiological profile after social mixing in lambs at four different moments of fattening. A total of 36 male lambs of the Rasa Aragonesa breed (average weight 17±1.5 kg and 60 d old) were used, the experimental design included three replicates with 12 lambs socially mixed. Each group was observed using a continuous digital video camera system during 8 h per day (08:00–17:00 h). Blood samples to evaluate physiological stress responses were taken by jugular venipuncture on the end of behavioural observations in the days 1, 7, 14 and 28. The social mixing response variables measured were aggressive, affiliative and stereotypic behaviour, cortisol, lactate, glucose, CK, NEFA and haematological counts. The variables were statistical analyzed with GLM procedure of SAS. In general, social mixing had a significant effect on behavioural variables (p<0.001). Total number of aggressions was higher during the first day after mixing and tended to decrease on d 7, 14 and 28. In the case of total affiliative behaviour, lambs display more affiliations at d 1 compared with d 7, 14 and 28. On day 1, lambs presented significantly highest stereotypes frequency than on d 7, 14 and 28. A significantly positive correlation (r= 0.25, p<0.001), was observed between total number of stereotypes and total number of aggression. The lambs during d 1 presented significantly highest values of cortisol than lambs at 7, 14 and 28 days (p≤0.01), respectively. A similar tendency was observed for lactate with significantly highest values for d 1 in comparison with the following days (p≤0.001). A significant effect of social mixing was observed for NEFA (p≤0.05) with the lowest value for the d 7. Social mixing had no significant effect on glucose and CK levels. In the case of haematological values (white and reed blood cells, haematocrit and ratio N/L), mixing had no significant effect on all variables. The results suggest that the first days after social mixing are critical for animal welfare.
Objective
The control of foot‐and‐mouth disease virus (FMDV) across northern Australia would likely result in animal carcases that will often be inaccessible for disposal. The aim of this preliminary study was to determine whether the natural pH and/or temperature changes that occur within the skeletal muscle and/or body cavities of a decomposing carcase shot and left in situ in this environment would be sufficient to inactivate FMDV.
Methods
Study pigs (n = 30), cattle (6), sheep (6) and goats (8) were shot in one of four locations in Queensland. Carcase temperature and pH and ambient temperature were measured every 15–60 min for up to 46 h in two sites per animal: central (thoracic/abdominal cavity) and peripheral (skeletal muscle) or brain. A target pH ≤ 6.0 at any time and/or a target temperature ≥ 43°C for ≥ 7 h or ≥ 49°C for ≥ 1 h were used as proxies for achievement of FMDV inactivation.
Results
The target temperature was achieved in only one goat carcase. However, within 16 h of death, the target central and/or peripheral pH was attained in 88–100% of pig, cattle and sheep carcases. Increasing hours since death and death in the late morning/afternoon, relative to the early morning, were positively associated with attaining the target central carcase pH.
Conclusion
This preliminary study provided evidence that FMDV inactivation may be achieved in the skeletal muscle and/or body cavities of carcases left under northern Australian conditions, though further work on pH changes in bone marrow are required.
This review looks at the effects of nutrition on carcass traits and meat quality properties in rabbits. Nutrition is a dominant integral part of a rabbit production enterprise that if appropriately modified will impart acceptable carcass and meat quality attributes sort in new demand market. This implies that feeding an appropriate diet to rabbits is the single most critical component in improving carcass traits and meat quality properties in a rabbit enterprise. Rabbits are instinctively unique in the sense that they have exhibited a relatively pronounced universal taste for common local feedstuffs composed to a greater extent of roughage and agricultural by-products. The utilization of dietary nutrient sources by rabbits is reliant on a variety of complementary determinants that include not only specific energy and protein sources but also intake and digestibility. The high pro-health nutritional value and acceptable sensory attributes of rabbit meat have advanced its consumption in several countries and its gaining popularity. Today, when consumer demand for meat are inclined towards consumption of low fat, low calorie, and positive healthy meats, new meat sources such as rabbits are increasing their share in the meat markets. Carcass traits and meat quality have shown to positively respond to different dietary nutritional levels and sources in rabbit production. Suitable nutrition regime would improve slaughter weight, hot and cold carcass weight, dressing percentage and the proportion of valuable giblets. Rabbit fed local unconventional feedstuffs can produce meat with similar or greater amounts of claimable polyunsaturated acids than feeding systems based on feedlot pellets alone. Dietary fats inclusion levels and their sources are important in expressing demanded carcass and meat quality properties, especially on influencing the type of fatty acid composition in meat. Feeding strategies through manipulation of dietary factors should endeavor at increasing the scope of unsaturated fatty acids while decreasing the portion of objectionable saturated fatty acids promoting pro-health value. Future rabbit nutritional research should shift from focusing on promoting quantity to the enhancement of quality in response to the new demand market for healthy food in addition to promoting the nutritional value and acceptable sensory properties. Heterogeneity in alternative energy and protein sources and their potential replacement value of alternative feedstuff in rabbits’ diets should be the targeted outcome of the nutritional research in rabbit meat production.
The aim of the study was to determine optimal pre-slaughter handling procedures (individual or group housing) for various slaughter cattle categories. Subjects were 842 Black-and-White Polish Holstein-Friesian slaughter cattle, classified into four EUROP categories - bulls up to 24 months of age (A), bulls older than 24 months (B), cows which had had offspring before (D), and heifers (E). Slaughter value, colour and pH characteristics of beef from these cattle categories were studied. Housing method had no significant effect on carcass composition. The pH48 of meat from grouphoused young bulls (A) and older bulls (B) was higher and the colour parameters were significantly lower compared to meat from individually housed animals of the two categories. No effect of preslaughter housing on the pH48 and colour parameters of meat was found for cows (D) and heifers (E). Abnormally high pH (>5.8) was much more frequent (over 63%) for meat from group-housed A and B animals than for meat from individually-housed animals (about 30%). Correlation coefficients show that pH48 was negatively correlated at P≤0.001 with colour coordinates L*, a*, b* and C* (-0.39, -0.24, -0.22 and -0.25, respectively). It can be concluded that conditions of pre-slaughter housing of cattle in the slaughterhouse significantly affected the quality traits of beef obtained from young bulls (A) and bulls (B). Hence, the pre-slaughter handling should be differentiated according to the sex of animals - it may be more economically justified, despite higher cost, to keep males individually while heifers and cows in groups, prior to slaughter.