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Qualidade Da Carne
Qualidade Da Carne
Qualidade Da Carne
Heat stress is one of the most stressful events in the life of livestock with harmful
consequences for animal health, productivity and product quality. Ruminants, pigs and
poultry are susceptible to heat stress due to their rapid metabolic rate and growth, high
level of production, and species-specific characteristics such as rumen fermentation,
sweating impairment, and skin insulation. Acute heat stress immediately before
slaughter stimulates muscle glycogenolysis and can result in pale, soft and exudative
(PSE) meat characterized by low water holding capacity (WHC). By contrast, animals
subjected to chronic heat stress, have reduced muscle glycogen stores resulting in dark,
firm and dry (DFD) meat with high ultimate pH and high WHC. Furthermore, heat
stress leads to oxidative stress, lipid and protein oxidation, and reduced shelf life and
food safety due to bacterial growth and shedding. This review discusses the scientific
evidence regarding the effects of heat stress on livestock physiology and metabolism,
and their consequences for meat quality and safety.
Introduction
Heat stress is one the most stressful and expensive events in the life of livestock animals
with negative consequences for animal health, productivity and product quality. A
combination of events including augmented global temperatures and more frequent
heat waves due to global warming (IPCC, 2018) and the relocation of animal production
into unfamiliar tropical environments to meet the increased demand of animal-derived
products, have together augmented the risk of heat stress in livestock (See Ratnakaran
et al. (2017) for review).
Economic losses in the livestock industry associated with heat stress include slow
growth rates, reduced fertility, increased veterinary costs, inconsistent carcass quality
and composition, reduced market weights and increased animal welfare issues. The
annual economic losses to the US beef and poultry industries due to heat stress were
estimated to be $369 million and $128 million, respectively, almost two decades ago
(St-Pierre, Cobanov, and Schnitkey, 2003). In the absence of current data, we can
assume that the current costs of heat stress are likely to be greater, particularly as the
consequences of climate change become more apparent. More recently, and despite
heat stress abatement strategies, the annual economic losses to the US swine industry
during the summer months were estimated to be $900 million (Pollmann, 2010).
Unfortunately, the harmful consequences of heat stress to animal health and
production are likely to continue in the future, particularly if selection for improved
production traits is prioritised against thermotolerance and climate adaptation.
Pigs, poultry and ruminants are susceptible to heat stress due to their rapid metabolic
rate, increased basal metabolic heat production, fast growth, and high level of
production. Pigs and poultry are particularly prone to heat stress due to the lack of
functional sweat glands and skin insulation provided by the subcutaneous fat in the
former and by feathers in the latter. In the case of ruminants, the heat released during
feed fermentation in the rumen contributes to increasing the metabolic heat production
and jeopardises their thermoregulation ability (Kadzere, Murphy, Silanikove, & Maltz,
2002; Tajima et al., 2007).
The objective of this review is to discuss the scientific evidence regarding the effects of
heat stress on livestock physiology and metabolism, and their consequences for
ruminant, pig and poultry meat quality and safety. Gaps in the literature are identified,
and directions for future research are suggested. Since the focus of this review is heat
stress, the effect of other stressors, including transport and handling are not included
(see Ferguson and Warner (2008) for review); however, the additive effect of handling
and transport under heat stress conditions on animal physiology, wellbeing and
product quality, cannot be ignored.
Section snippets
Thermoregulation
Stress response
Metabolic acidosis
Poultry
Heat stress is currently one of the main environmental stressors affecting the
productivity and welfare of poultry in intensive and extensive systems worldwide (Lara
& Rostagno, 2013). Modern poultry genotypes appear to be more affected by heat
stress, than non-selected or indigenous breeds, because of their elevated metabolic heat
production and faster growth rate. Indeed, there is a strong negative correlation
between body temperature, heat tolerance, and traits of economic importance (Cooper
…
Effect of heat stress on meat safety
Conclusion
The physiologic and metabolic responses associated with heat stress in ruminants, pigs
and poultry have a profound link with meat quality via the establishment of acute and
chronic stress responses, reduction in muscle glycogen and protein concentration and
redistribution of fat stores. Dehydration, in turn, also reduces live weight and muscle
dry matter. Heat stress further induces oxidative stress, cellular damage and increased
expression of HSPs and all of those can be associated with…
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U. Bernabucci et al.
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Animal (2010)
Cited by (228)
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