Review on Beef Cattle Pre-slaughter Stress and Its Effect on Meat and Carcass Quality

Addis Birhanu

doi:10.7176/alst/78-01

Abstract

Pre-slaughter stress includes all the conditions and practices that apply during the period when the animal is moved from source or market to entry into the stunning box at the abattoir. Cattle can be stressed during transportation, marketing and handling at abattoirs. During such condition physiological changes (increased heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, activity of enzymes, stress hormones (cachecholamine, cortisol) and glycolysis) has been occur which used to measure stress before cattle slaughter. Such changes affect the meat quality by depleting muscle glycogen which result in lower rate of post-mortem lactic acid synthesis, high ultimate pH, tough meat, abnormal muscle color and high water retention capacity. Keywords : pre-slaughter stress, quality, meat, carcass, and physiological. DOI : 10.7176/ALST/78-01 Publication date: February 29 th 2020

Highlights

The transformation of slaughter animals into meat is a chain of events including handling, loading, transporting, unloading, holding and slaughtering
Pre-slaughter stress can be differentiated into physical and psychological stresses (Grandin,2007) Physical stress can be caused by high ambient temperatures, vehicle shake, noise and density (Chulayo et al, 2012), slippery floor, lack of food and water as well as loading and unloading from the truck (Mareko, 2005)
Psychological stress can be caused by group separation, mixing with an unknown group, new environment, handling and increased human contact (Adziety, 2011). Such stress condition may lead to some changes in concentration of enzymes, hormone (Catecholamines, corisol) and other blood constituents such glucose and packed cell volume in blood (Knowles & Warriss,2007) which result in glycogen depletion causing lower rate of post-mortem lactic acid synthesis, high ultimate pH, undesirable colour, and greater water holding capacity ( Chulayo, 2012)

Summary

Introduction

The transformation of slaughter animals into meat is a chain of events including handling, loading, transporting, unloading, holding and slaughtering. During all these activities due poor handling, operational techniques and facilities cattle exposed to various stress condition such as noise, vibration, restraint, deprivation of feed and water, adverse weather conditions, breakdown of social grouping, mixing with unfamiliar animal, overcrowding, increased human contact and improper stunning before slaughter which lead to unnecessary suffering, injury and loss of production (Chambers et al, 2004: Warris, 1995).

Results

Conclusion