Interconnection between pastures, grazing ecosystem, animal welfare, meat quality, and human health

19 - Meat quality and animal welfare: Religious and scientific perspectives

The current review was initiated to encourage the government of Ethiopia, stakeholders, and policymakers about the substantial effects of handling, slaughtering process, and transportation on welfare and meat quality of farm animals of animals. In Ethiopia, until this review was made, there is no comprehensive legislation, rules, or regulations articulated for farm animals’ welfare during rearing, transport, and slaughter. Hence, the welfare of animals was not taken into consideration and often constrained by high levels of poverty, cultural perceptions and beliefs, lack of training and knowledge of animal handling, inadequate transport, and slaughter facilities. The most common farm animal transport system was on the foot from a rural area to a nearby market and then by vehicle to the urban area. During transport, farm animals were exposed to several potential stressors like trip distance, design of vehicle, animal standing orientation, loading and unloading facilities, and temperature fluctuations that affect the welfare, quality, and shelf life of meat and meat products. Aversive ways of handling farm animals, including improper use of sticks, pushing, pulling, and beating them on their head and body frequently by handlers and slaughtering them without stunning, were common practices. This aversive way of handling also causes carcass damage such as bruising, hemorrhages, skin blemishes, blood splash, and broken bones. Therefore, from this review, it has been recommended that, in order to improve animal welfare and thereby meat quality that has been affected by improper handling, transport, and slaughter, the government of Ethiopia is strongly encouraged to endorse inclusive animal welfare jurisdictive acts that would protect animal sentience, define animal welfare in line with OIE standards, and prohibit animal brutality. Creating awareness for stakeholders, particularly for handlers about behavioral principles, proper handling of farm animals, basic concept and role of good animal welfare, and its significant impact on the quality of meat is also imperative.

The present work aimed to review the state of sheep welfare in Bulgaria during transportation and slaughter and to evaluate its relationship with slaughter carcass and meat quality. Over the last few years, animal welfare has become increasingly important. Normative documents related to welfare during rearing, transport, and slaughter of animals have been developed and promulgated. A major percentage of these animals are reared for meat production, but attempts to minimize stress and pain during transport and slaughter should be made. Stress reduction and pain control improve animal welfare and also impact carcass and meat quality. This overview demonstrates that improper preslaughter handling deteriorates meat quality and increases stress levels in animals. Consumers are increasingly concerned about meat quality and are even ready to pay more to purchase products of higher quality. One of the main ways for improvement of meat quality is to comply with animal welfare standards. This review focuses on some EU countries such as Bulgaria, taking interest in proper preslaughter handling of sheep due to its beneficial effects on meat and carcass qualities. In addition, this review highlights the factors to consider in sheep handling and their effect on meat and carcass quality.

Simple SummaryImmunocastration of boars to prevent boar taint in meat is usually performed during the fattening phase of pigs, which is sometimes impractical for pig fatteners. The aim of this study was to test the practicability of the immunization of suckling pigs against boar taint and to assess its influence on production performance and animal welfare in the fattening phase. The fattening and slaughtering performance as well as animal behavior and welfare did not differ between the standard and the earlier immunization. However, reliable avoidance of boar taint was not given for all animals when immunization was conducted very early at the piglet stage.The study aimed to test a very early immunization of pigs to prevent boar taint with regard to its practicability and influence on production performance, its reliability in ensuring good meat and fat quality, and animal welfare. Immunization was already conducted at piglet production stage and could be easily integrated into routine vaccination (week 3) and weaning practices (week 7). The fattening and slaughter performance of the animals was not affected by the immunization regime and was within the usual range. In addition, there were no abnormalities in animal behavior and the prevalence of injuries caused by aggressive interactions. All animals were classified as infertile on the basis of the histological examination of the testicles. However, the testosterone levels measured at slaughter were significantly higher in animals of the early immunization regime than in animals subjected to the standard immunization regime. Androstenone and skatole levels as the main components of boar taint were, on average, higher and varied to a greater extent in early immunized animals. Furthermore, the comparison of the immunization scheme did not result in significant differences for meat quality and for fatty acid composition.

Meat quality refers to intrinsic attributes critical for the suitability of meat for eating, processing, and storage, including retail display. The main attributes of interest of meat are safety, nutritional value, sensorial properties, lipid composition, oxidative stability, and consistency. In recent years the meat market has undergone changes that require high standards of quality, so aspects related to environmental sustainability and animal welfare have become critical in meat production. In addition, there is growing awareness of the link between diet and health and this is reflected in the demand for more information and for products which are healthy and of consistently high quality. Therefore, meat quality and safety are becoming dynamic and challenging concerns which require the generation of new information and of continuous reevaluation of existing knowledge for meeting market's demands by assuring high quality standards and prevention of recognized risks to human health. The papers included in this issue cover aspects of muscle biology and meat biochemistry and discuss factors affecting meat quality and sensory properties, contribution of beef to human health. For meat research, a main objective is to control concomitantly the development of muscles and the qualities of meat commercial cuts from different animal species. In the paper “Expression Marker-Based Strategy to Improve Beef Quality” the steps of an expression marker-based strategy to improve beef sensory quality were described, from the discovery of biomarkers that identify consistent beef and the biological functions governing beef tenderness to the integration of the knowledge into detection tests for desirable animals. The review “How Muscle Structure and Composition Influence Meat and Flesh Quality” describes the features of muscle components and their relationships with the technological, nutritional, and sensory properties of meat/flesh from different livestock and fish species. The effect of diet and rearing system on meat quality was studied in two different studies. Particularly, the research “Influence of Maternal and Postweaning Linseed Dietary Supplementation on Growth Rate, Lipid Profile, and Meat Quality Traits of Light Sarda Lambs” highlights that linseed supplementation and early life nutrition can influence performance and fatty acids metabolism in growing lambs. In the study “A Survey on the Effect of Livestock Production System and Finishing Diet on Sensory Characteristics of Foal Meat Using Generalized Procrustes Analysis” highly appreciated sensory properties were mostly associated with foals from the semiextensive system. Finally, the important role of meat and meat products as source of protein, fat, and several functional compounds was highlighted in the review “A Contribution of Beef to Human Health: A Review of the Role of the Animal Production Systems.” We hope that all the interesting results published in this special issue will stimulate further studies to improve meat quality and safety. Agostino Sevi Rosaria Marino Jose M. Lorenzo Brigitte Picard Angelica Simone Cravo Pereira

QUALITY-oriented meat production has grown during the past decade and its aim is to improve the harmonisation of product characteristics and consumer demands. Consumer concerns about quality are not limited...

Increased public concern for animal welfare in the logistics chain has led to a rise in the scrutiny of the treatment of food animals. Factors affecting the status of welfare of slaughter animals begin at the farm and occur during transportation and at the abattoir. The activities that animals pass through before slaughter are thought to have negative effects on both the animal and the product. Before or during this period, animals suffer pain, which compromises their physical, health and biochemical status, and meat quality and quantity; which leads to economic losses. Environmental impact plays a role in the behaviour, growth, development and welfare of animals, even though it is associated with the production of greenhouse gases and biodiversity. Food producers are also mindful of the challenges of feeding the ever-increasing human population. Although the issues of animal production, which range from the environment to human health, have been discussed, animal welfare-related factors that are at play in the production chain of farm animals must still be addressed. An understanding of the animal’s environment, behaviour and the biochemical interactions that are at play in stressful conditions; and the implications of these for animal health and welfare are key to developing effective mitigation strategies. Therefore, the objective of this review is to highlight the literature on animal welfare, and suggest strategies that could be adopted for the improvement of meat animals, meat quality and meat products. Keywords: Avoidance behaviour, climate change, biotechnology, genetic modification, stress biomarkers, road transportation

Animal welfare and stress refer to the subjective experience of the animal, which depends on its emotional and cognitive capacities to evaluate the situation it is in, to know its body state in terms of needs, and the higher-order, conscious, processing of the information. The origin of stress-inducing factors may be psychological, such as fear, or physical, such as food deprivation. In both cases, they influence the emotional status of the animal. Due to its subjective, therefore unmeasurable, character, the assessment of animal welfare is indirect. During the preslaughter period, this assessment relies on the physiological and behavioural stress reactions and environmental context. Physiological reactions are not specific to stress; they allow any adaptive response potentially requiring increased physical activity and vigilance. Combining physiological measurements and behavioural observations in relation to the environmental context allow interpreting these different types of information in terms of stress. Physiological and behavioural reactions further influence meat quality traits, such as post-mortem temperature and pH decline, which influence other traits, such as colour and tenderness, and carcass quality characteristics, such as bruising. Individuals show a degree of consistency in their responses to stress factors. The determination of the animal’s stress reactivity using standardised tests before slaughter facilitates the interpretation of the physiological and behavioural observations made in the slaughter setting. Stress reactivity determined before slaughter may predict stress reactions at slaughter, and future meat quality. Summarising, the assessment of animal welfare and stress involves the interpretation of a range of measurements on the physiology and behaviour of the animal, the environmental context, post-mortem meat and carcass quality traits, and the characteristics of the animal itself, in terms of stress reactivity and rearing and genetic background.

Simple SummaryInterest in animal welfare has increased and been considered a relevant attribute for the concept of the ethical quality of pig products. The present study suggests that consumers would appreciate particular improvements on animal welfare such as providing environmental enrichment or herbal compounds. The provision of those welfare improvement strategies did not have a significant effect on technological carcass and meat quality parameters. However, the strategies used in this study that can increase animal welfare in production systems were valued by consumers.Animal welfare can be considered an ethical attribute of product quality, but consumers should appreciate its added value. The aim of this study was to evaluate consumer’s acceptability, preference, and the meat and carcass quality of pigs reared with two stress-reducing strategies: supplementation of an herbal compound (HC) containing Valeriana officinalis and Passiflora incarnata, and environmental enrichment (EE) by the provision of hemp ropes, sawdust, and rubber balls. A total of 56 pigs were divided in four treatments in two pens of seven pigs per treatment (2 × 2 factorial design). Meat and carcass quality were evaluated. Consumer’s acceptability and preference were analysed with a sensory test and a conjoint analysis in 110 consumers. Before slaughter, control pigs (no EE and no HC) presented lower live weight compared with other treatments (p = 0.0009). Although acceptance was the same for all of the treatments, consumers preferred systems aiming to increase pig welfare. The most important factor was production system, with a preference for those improving welfare, followed by feeding system, with a preference for those with natural herbs supplementation. Although price was the least important factor, a segment of consumers showed a clear preference for lower prices. These results suggest that welfare improvements could be appreciated by particular consumer segments.

12 - Animal welfare and food safety at the slaughter plant

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dried hempseed cake (by-product of oil production) supplementation (5 % − EG1 and 10 % − EG2) to rabbit feed mixture on livestock performances, quality of meat, digestibility of nutrients and animal health status. The chemical composition of the Longissimus thoracis and lumborum muscle including the content of fatty acids and amino acids, and the biochemical parameters in caecum and blood of growing rabbits were investigated. No significant differences among the experimental groups in feed intake, body weight and carcass parameters were found. The digestibility trial was performed using the balance method. Feed mixtures differed in digestible energy content i.e., crude protein, crude fibre and fat. The resulting digestibility coefficients for protein fell within the range of 66.72 − 74.18 %, fat digestibility was in the interval from 88.73 to 89.34 % and crude fibre digestibility was in the range from 27.56 to 34.59 %. Fatty acid profile in intramuscular lipids represents the highest content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA; 47.72 − 48.51 %), followed by the content of saturated acids (SFA; 33.75 − 33.87 %) and a low content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; 11.23 − 12.08 %). Hempseed oil cake could be included in rabbits' diet with beneficial effect on carcass quality and can enhance the nutritional quality of rabbit meat with the focus on essential amino acids. The tested blood serum parameters were within the range of the physiological reference values with no statistical differences between experimental groups, except for glucose and cholesterol content. The data on volatile fatty acids (VFA) show that most intensive process was in the caecum of rabbits in the experimental groups EG1 and EG2. All obtained data let us to recommend the inclusion of hempseed cake up to 10 % in rabbit diet without any negative effect on animal welfare, livestock performance and quality of meat.

27 - Animal welfare and meat quality

Stunning pigs with nitrogen and carbon dioxide mixtures: effects on animal welfare and meat quality

During recent years, in order to satisfy consumer’s demand at meat quality and animal welfare, it has become popular to raise pigs outdoors. As reported by various authors this kind of rearing system may affects chemical-physical traits of meat but mainly the adipose tissue, characterised by an higher content of unsaturated fatty acids (Pugliese et al., 2004). The aim of this work is to verify the effect of rearing system on some meat and subcutaneous fat quality traits.For this reason, twelve Large White x Duroc pigs were raised under two different farming system following the organic regulations: six pigs were reared indoors while six pigs were reared outdoors on woodland pastures of 5000 m2. Both group were fed the same diet but, during the months of October and November, the pigs raised outdoors received 1kg/die of chestnuts (Castanea sativa) instead of maize. All animals were slaughtered at the target weight of about 140kg, reached at the age of 12 months for the indoor group and at the age of 13 months for the outdoor group. 24 hours after slaughtering, from all carcasses the left loin (muscle longissimus lumborum) was excised and vacuum packaged. The meat was analysed for the determination of: pHu, colour, water holding capacity (drip loss, water-bath loss and M/T ratio) and shear force on water-bath cooked meat; the subcutaneous fat was analysed for colour and shear force. To verify the effect of the different rearing system, data underwent to variance analysis (SAS, 1995).As regard the main results, the rearing conditions do not affect pHu values (5.43 vs 5.47), in agreement with results of other authors (Lebret et al., 2002; Pugliese et al., 2004). The colour parameters of meat are similar between indoor and outdoor pigs, in spite of the different age and of the attended different content of myoglobin. Shear force on water-bath cooked meat is significantly higher for the outdoors pigs (12.82kg vs 10.94kg) probably due to the higher exercise and to the older age at slaughter. Results of water-holding capacity show that outdoors pigs have a significantly lowest drip loss (2.78% vs 4.86%) and a significantly highest value of water-bath loss (32.36% vs 20.12%); no differences are revealed for the M/T ratio. These contradictory results on water-holding capacity are in agreement with other authors and may be related to the different methodologies used (Pugliese et al., 2004). As regard the quality of subcutaneous fat, it is possible to note that the outdoors pigs show lower value of C* (2.77 vs 4.56) and higher value of H* (58.33 vs 41.01) thus their fat is less coloured and clearer, in agreement with the results of Pugliese et al. (2004). No differences are revealed for shear force parameters: it seems that the consistence of fat is not influenced by rearing system even if it is well known that outdoors pigs have a different fatty acid composition than indoors pigs, mainly in terms of polyunsaturated fatty acid content.In conclusion it seems that the outdoor rearing system, further on influences the consumer perception of quality, effectively modifies some meat and fat quality traits, making interesting an ulterior deepening of this argument.

Heat stress is one of the most stressful events in livestock life, negatively impacting animal health, productivity, and product quality. Moreover, the negative impact of heat stress on animal product quality has recently attracted increasing public awareness and concern. The purpose of this review is to discuss the effects of heat stress on the quality and the physicochemical component of meat in ruminants, pigs, rabbits, and poultry. Based on PRISMA guidelines, research articles were identified, screened, and summarized based on inclusion criteria for heat stress on meat safety and quality. Data were obtained from the Web of Science. Many studies reported the increased incidences of heat stress on animal welfare and meat quality. Although heat stress impacts can be variable depending on the severity and duration, the exposure of animals to heat stress (HS) can affect meat quality. Recent studies have shown that HS not only causes physiological and metabolic disturbances in living animals but also alters the rate and extent of glycolysis in postmortem muscles, resulting in changes in pH values that affect carcasses and meat. It has been shown to have a plausible effect on quality and antioxidant activity. Acute heat stress just before slaughter stimulates muscle glycogenolysis and can result in pale, tender, and exudative (PSE) meat characterized by low water-holding capacity (WHC). The enzymatic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) act by scavenging both intracellular and extracellular superoxide radicals and preventing the lipid peroxidation of the plasma membrane. Therefore, understanding and controlling environmental conditions is crucial to successful animal production and product safety. The objective of this review was to investigate the effects of HS on meat quality and antioxidant status.