This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Mejorar la calidad de la carne porcina reduciendo el estrés animal

The quality of the meat is better with a fast of 24 hours that 12 hours before the sacrifice

Improve the quality of the swine meat reducing the animal stress

IRTA01/12/2011

1 December 2011

A study of the Institute of Investigation and Technology Agroalimentaria (IRTA) has showed, by means of three experimental works different, that is possible to minimise the stress of the pigs before the sacrifice and improve the quality of the meat. The investigation, carried out by researchers of the Program of Quality of the Product of the IRTA of Monells (Girona), of the Department of Agriculture of the Government of Catalonia, has considered the previous factors to the sacrifice of the pigs with the aim to diminish the level of stress of the animal and improve the quality of his meat.

As first step, has analysed a sample of 72 animals in conditions of minimum stress, studying the effect of the fast in the pigs to avoid seasicknesses during the transport of the farm to the slaughterhouse. In addition to checking that the nerviosismo of the animals increased during the wait before being sacrificed, the study has showed that “the meat loses a lot of liquid if the period between the beginning of the fast and the sacrifice of the animal is of 12 hours” explains the doctor Nuria Panella, responsible of the investigation.

Instead, if the time passed lengthens until 24 hours observes that the meat has better characteristic from the technological point of view and, therefore, “will have better capacity of retention of water and will be adapted to be commercialised like cool meat”. This allows to obtain a more substantial meat that other obtained from typical commercial conditions, by what with this method is possible to reduce the exudation, one of the most important defects that determine the quality of a meat. However, the animals were treated in conditions of minimum stress, although “it would be necessary to move the experiment to a nearer treatment to the commercial to corroborate these observations”, matiza the researcher of the IRTA.

The inclusion of triptófano in the think 5 days before the sacrifice improves the quality of the meat

On the other hand, with the aim to reduce the stress of the animals taking into account his susceptibility, also analysed the effect of the magnesium and of the triptófano (amino acid involved in the regulation of the dream and of the pleasure) as palliative of the stress, in a sample of 61 and 69 animals, respectively. In the first case the livestock was subjected to the minimum possible stress, whereas in the second case the conditions were nearer to the commercial.

According to the results of the investigation, including these substances in the think five days before the sacrifice, the pigs suffer less the stress to the slaughterhouse and, consistently, the quality of his meat improves. However, such as it remembers the doctor Panella, “this basic investigation needs an experimentation in real commercial conditions” to be able to move his conclusions to the market.

Bibliography

- previous Strategies to the sacrifice that can affect to the animal welfare and the quality of the meat of pigs of different genotype RYR1. Thesis doctoral presented by the doctor Núria Panella, of the Program of Quality of the Product of the IRTA of Monells (Girona).