Pre-slaughter Transport Research Articles

Effect of preslaughter transport on carcass yield and indices of meat quality in sheep

AbstractOne hundred and sixty castrated male crossbred lambs were fed a complete pelleted diet ad libitum for 4 weeks prior to slaughter at a live weight of about 32 kg in two trials carried out in June and November 1984. They were killed after having been subjected to withdrawal of food, but not water, for 21 h and either no transport on the day of slaughter or a journey lasting for 1, 3 or 6 h. Transport had no signijicant effect on the weights of any body components measured. However, although the effect was not statistically significant (P=O.25), sheep transported for 3 or 6 h produced slightly lighter (1.7%) carcasses than those either not transported or subjected to a 1‐h journey. Transported sheep had higher concentrations of plasma glucose and liver glycogen, and lower levels of plasma jkee fatty acids and urea N. Muscle glycogen, pHu or water holding capacity were not influenced by transport, but fibre optic probe value was lower in sheep transported for 1 h than in those transported for 6 h. No differences were found between the results of the two trials, suggesting that season was not important in determining the responses of sheep to transport.

Influence of age at slaughter, rearing technique and pre-slaughter treatment on some quality traits of lamb meat

The influences of rearing technique and age on muscle fibre type, and of rearing technique, age and pre-slaughter transport on the meat quality characteristics of sheep were investigated using thirty lambs of a Bulgarian coarse-fleeced breed (Karakatchanska). The animals were reared on pasture or in barns and slaughtered at 22 or 30 weeks of age. Muscle fibre type and meat quality were studied in three muscles of different metabolic type— Longissimus dorsi (LD), Supraspinatus (SS) and Rectus abdominis (RA). Fibre type distribution was influenced by age but not by rearing technique. Pigment content of muscles was higher in older animals. Water binding capacity (WBC) increased—and cooking loss decreased—with age. There was an interaction between muscle and pre-slaughter stress with respect to pH, the latter being increased in SS muscle, as was WBC. Cooking loss was decreased by transport stress in the three muscles and by pre-slaughter stress. However, meat organoleptic characteristics (flavour, tenderness and juiciness, as judged by a taste panel) were not influenced by age, rearing technique or pre-slaughter treatment.