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Abstract
Simple SummaryVeterinarians belonging to the Health Authorities are responsible for the safety of food of animal origin. The control activities performed at the slaughterhouse comprise inspections before and after slaughtering to verify the health and welfare of the animals and the wholesomeness of the animal products. In this study, data deriving from ten years (2010–2019) of meat inspection activity in a pig slaughterhouse in Tuscany (Italy) were analyzed to investigate the frequencies of death during transport of whole carcass and partial condemnations and their causes. In total 1,246,309 pigs from 8 different regions of Central and Northern Italy were slaughtered. The mortality rate was found to be lower than the threshold internationally recommended to ensure animal welfare and in line with the mortality values reported at the European level. Overalls 372 carcasses were condemned mainly due to erysipelas, generalized jaundice, lipomatous pseudohypertrophy, generalized abscesses, acute or generalized enteritis, and peritonitis. As regards partial condemnations, liver, lungs, and kidney were the most frequently condemned organs. The results of this study describe a non-worrying situation as regards to the investigated aspects and confirm the slaughterhouse as a privileged observation point for monitoring the trend of the main diseases over time, the results of the efforts for their control, and also the compliance with animal welfare standards.The activities performed by the Official Veterinarian at the slaughterhouse represent a useful source of data for the control of issues affecting human and animal health and welfare. This study analyzed the data deriving from ten years (2010–2019) of meat inspection in a pig slaughterhouse in Tuscany (Italy) to investigate the transport mortality rate and the frequencies and main causes of whole carcass and partial condemnations. In total, 1,246,309 pigs were slaughtered from 8 different regions of Central and Northern Italy. Overall, 1153 pigs died during transport (mortality rate 0.09%). Whole carcass condemnation affected 372 carcasses (0.03%), mainly due to erysipelas, generalized jaundice, lipomatous pseudohypertrophy, generalized abscesses, acute or generalized enteritis, and peritonitis. As regards partial condemnations, the liver was the most frequently condemned (~30% of the pigs), followed by lungs (17.3%), heart (6.9%), and kidney (0.9%). The main causes were “milk spot liver” and perihepatitis for the liver; pneumonia and pleurisy for the lungs; pericarditis and polyserositis for the heart; and polycystic kidney and nephritis for kidneys. The results of this study describe a non-worrying situation as regards the investigated aspects and confirm the slaughterhouse as a valid epidemiological observatory for monitoring the trend of the main diseases over time, the results of the efforts for their control, and the compliance with animal welfare standards.
Highlights
World meat consumption is constantly increasing, reaching an average of about 43 kg per person/yearly, almost double than in the 1960s [1,2]
Despite the issues deriving both from intrinsic and extrinsic factors, the analysis of whole carcass and partial condemnations is a valid tool in the study of the type and prevalence of lesions found in slaughtered animals
The analysis of data from the meat inspection (MI) activity at the slaughterhouse is a useful instrument to analyze the trend of the main diseases over time and the results of the efforts for their control, and to monitor compliance with animal welfare standards
Summary
World meat consumption is constantly increasing, reaching an average of about 43 kg per person/yearly, almost double than in the 1960s [1,2]. Pork and poultry meat are the most consumed worldwide, even though strong differences exist among different geographical areas, due to livestock sector development, cultures, and climatic conditions [2]. In Europe, where the average meat consumption per person per year is 69.8 kg, it mainly consists of pork (34.6 kg) and poultry (23.1 kg), followed by beef (10.7 kg) and sheep (1.4 kg) meat [2]. In Italy, pork meat is one of the most appreciated meat categories, accounting for almost half (36.8 kg) of the total per person per year meat consumption (75 kg). Pork meat is eaten both as fresh and processed, being one of the most important products deriving from the Italian livestock sector [3,4]. Almost all of the over 11 million pigs slaughtered every year from 2010 to 2020 in Italy belong to the “heavy”
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