A total of 600 pigs was randomly chosen on arrival at a commercial slaughter plant and sampled for lactate analysis from the ear vein using a Lactate Scout Analyzer (LSA) at unloading (UN), after lairage (LA), in the restrainer (RE; before stunning), and from the ear vein (EX1) and the bleeding incision (EX2) at exsanguination. Pigs were distributed into two pen groups, one kept in lairage overnight (G1) and the other kept between 2 and 3 h before slaughter (G2). Meat quality was assessed in the Longissimus dorsi (LD), Semimembranosus (SM) and Adductor (AD) muscles. Data were analyzed using Spearman correlations and the MIXED procedure of SAS. Greater (P = 0.009) levels of blood lactate were found in pigs laired longer, which resulted in LD and SM muscles with greater pHu (P = 0.03 and P = 0.001, respectively), as well as lower L* (P = 0.005 and P = 0.008, respectively) and drip loss (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively). The greatest correlation with lactate levels was observed at LA with pHu value of the SM and AD muscles (r = 0.40; P < 0.001). LSA lactate levels reliably reflect the physiological response of pigs to preslaughter procedures and may help explain the variation in pork quality as measured in the ham muscles.
Hand-held lactate analyzer as a tool for the real-time measurement of blood lactate during slaughter and pork quality prediction
NANNONI, ELEONORA;
2012
Abstract
A total of 600 pigs was randomly chosen on arrival at a commercial slaughter plant and sampled for lactate analysis from the ear vein using a Lactate Scout Analyzer (LSA) at unloading (UN), after lairage (LA), in the restrainer (RE; before stunning), and from the ear vein (EX1) and the bleeding incision (EX2) at exsanguination. Pigs were distributed into two pen groups, one kept in lairage overnight (G1) and the other kept between 2 and 3 h before slaughter (G2). Meat quality was assessed in the Longissimus dorsi (LD), Semimembranosus (SM) and Adductor (AD) muscles. Data were analyzed using Spearman correlations and the MIXED procedure of SAS. Greater (P = 0.009) levels of blood lactate were found in pigs laired longer, which resulted in LD and SM muscles with greater pHu (P = 0.03 and P = 0.001, respectively), as well as lower L* (P = 0.005 and P = 0.008, respectively) and drip loss (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively). The greatest correlation with lactate levels was observed at LA with pHu value of the SM and AD muscles (r = 0.40; P < 0.001). LSA lactate levels reliably reflect the physiological response of pigs to preslaughter procedures and may help explain the variation in pork quality as measured in the ham muscles.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
