Influência do manejo pré-abate de bovinos na indústria sobre os parâmetros de bem-estar animal e impactos no ph 24 horas post mortem

Abstract

It was evaluated the pre-slaughter handling of 320 healthy and crossbred (zebu) cows, divided into eight groups of 40 animals, according to their origin, aged 2-4 years, coming from eight properties of Triângulo Mineiro - Minas Gerais, which were slaughtered in a slaughterhouse placed at the same region. It was related, in this handling, parameters of animal welfare and its effects on the stunning, bleeding and 24 hours pH. It was analyzed the leading of the animals in the slaughterhouse, from the pens until the stunning cabinet, the stunning of the cattle and the control of the time until the bleeding, the efficiency of the stunning and the measurement of pH of carcasses after 24 hours of slaughter. Considering each group of 40 animals, the slips and the falls varied from 0 (0%) to 2 (5%), and vocalizations from 0 (0%) to 10 (25%), numbered during the leading of the cattle. The smallest amount of the use of the electric stick per group of 40 animals was 23 (57.5%) and the biggest one was 40 (100%), which reflects the lack of an appropriateInfluência do manejo pré-abate… handling at this stage. The evaluated cattle, after stunning and properly numb, were among 31 to 40 animals (77.5% to 100%) per group. The stunning with one shot ranged from 29 to 36 animals (72.5% to 90%), except for one group, whose stunning was not efficient for defect in the equipment at the evaluation day and all the animals received more than one shot. The interval between stunning and bleeding did not vary (P>0.05) keeping within one minute. The bleeding time varied among groups (P<0.05), but within the recommended minimum time (3 minutes), except for one group that got less time (2.54 minutes). The averages amounts of 24 hours pH post mortem in one group kept in the recommended which is until 5,8; six groups kept among 5,81 a 5,99, considered intermediates in relation to the recommended pH. In one group, the average amounts to the carcasses of the cattle were more than 6,0; evaluated as undesired parameter, with marks the (5.81 to 5.99), one group had medium marks above 6.0. The pre-slaughter handling in the slaughterhouse influences the parameters of animal welfare, because irregular maintenance of equipment and facilities, unqualified workmanship and inefficient supervision cause failures in the processes of stunning, bleeding and 24 hours pH, with loss of meat quality.