Welfare and meat quality of pigs submitted to differentt pre-slaughter handling techniques

Abstract

A total of 120 pigs (86 to 95Kg/140 days) was divided in two groups of 60 animals and transported in the night period (0,4m2/100kg) for a distance of 120Km. In the first group, the animals were handled using aluminum panel, during loading and unloading of the pigs, and in the second group the animals were handled with electric stick (40v). All the pigs were submited to the manual electric stunning in the slaughterhouse (340v/1,3A). The pig group handled with the aluminum panel presented smaller blood cortisol concentrations (10,76  5,76) and lactate(16,32  5,50) in comparison with the group handled with the electric stick (80,26  41,38) and (189,214  72,06), demonstrating that the stick was more stressful, however the welfare provided by the use of panel was not enough to alter the color values significantly (L*, a*, b*), as well as the drip loss. Significant variations in the pH (4, 6 and 8h post-mortem) were also obtained when the treatments was compered, however none significant value was obtained in the period of 24h post-mortem. Significant visual blood splashed score in the central area of the loin was obtained when the pigs was handled with the electric stick. We concluded that the pigs handled with panel suffered less stress.