ANIMAL WELFARE AND MEAT QUALITY OF LAMBS SLAUGHTERED IN NORTH PATAGONIA ARGENTINA

ZIMERMAN, M; E DOMINGO; G GRIGIONI; TADDEO, H; WILLEMS P

Punta del Este

Congreso; 60th International Congress on Meat Science and Technology; 2014

The study was carried out in two commercial abattoirs of North Patagonia during lambs slaughter season. 5 batches of 20 lambs in each slaughterhouse were studied to obtain information about the well-being status of animals slaughtered on these plants and its effect on meat quality. Blood samples from each animal were taken before slaughter to assess concentration of physiological indicators of stress. Ultimate meat pH was recorded from each carcass and 60 carcasses were selected to evaluate other meat quality traits. The concentration of physiological indicators of stress founded was higher than those reported in a previous study on animals exposed to different pre-slaughter stressor and slaughtered under controlled conditions. Thus, it could conclude that in commercial systems animals are exposed to a variety of stressful conditions and that some synergism among them can occur. Meat quality parameters also differed, being meat of commercial abattoirs of inferior quality. Lairage time was related neither to physiological indicator´s levels nor to meat pH values.