The effect of animal treatment before slaughter on quality and microbiological contamination of carcasses and meat

S. Cepin

Abstract
Various treatments of animals before slaughter and their effects on the quality of meat were studied in bulls and heifers of Simmental breed. The first effect of treatments in the determination whether animals are to be fed before shipping or they shall go through shorter or longer period of fasting. The meat quality is also affected by way of loading, which should be civilized, the length and quality of shipping and treatment in the abattoir before slaughter. Animals are subjected to various stresses that result in diverse deviations in meat quality and different degrees of microbiological contamination of meat.

The research results showed that bulls were more responsive to stress and that dark, firm, and dry (DFD) meat in bulls was more frequent. Lorry breakdown and delayed shipping significantly more frequently resulted in DFD in bulls than in heifers.

It was also shown that animals that were fastened in stables were more prone to stresses. The length of shipping up to 500 km did not affect the meat quality in comparison to 100 km long shipping.

The meat quality was, on the other hand, significantly affected by the waiting phase for slaughter in the abattoir. Ten to 24 hour-long waiting phases were much worse that direct slaughter after the shipping or up to three hour-long waiting phases. The quality of meat was determined by pH meter and fiber optic probe (FOP).


Source
Tehnologija-mesa (Yugoslavia). Meat Technology (2001) 42: 5-15