PRE-SLAUGHTER CARE OF FOOD ANIMALS

 Animals are to be handled with the minimum of disturbance and as

quietly as up to the point of slaughter to safeguard meat quality.

 It is necessary to rest fatigued and excited animals before slaughter

- because of the complete development of acidity of the muscles and also
the early invasion of the system by putrefaction bacteria from the
intestinal tract. These bacteria cause of bone taint in cattle and of ham
taint in pigs.

 The meat of animals slaughtered while exhausted, appears dark fiery due
to decreased oxygenation of the blood haemoglobin and muscle
myoglobin. Allowances of molasses or sugar solution will reduce the
incidence of PSE (Pale soft Exudative) in pigs and also it helps to
maintain glycogen level. This glycogen is useful for better acidification
of the carcass for higher shelf life.

 A period of 6-24 hours with a maximum of 36 hours detention and rest in

a liarage (a place where cattle or sheep may be rested on the way to
market or slaughter) is essential for such animals before slaughter.

 The actual duration of the resting period depends on many factors such
as; species of animals, age, sex, class and condition, time of year, length
of journey, method of transportation, etc.

 Check to ensure that there are no defects, which could cause bruising or
even death.

 The animals should be provided with adhibited potable water which

facilitates flaying( strip the skin off) and reduction of intestinal microbes
with chances of possible cross contamination.

 Mixing of animals from different origins leads to fighting and injury.

 Only physiologically normal animals should be slaughtered thereby

preventing any loss of body weight.

 Weight loss suffered during transit could be restored to some extent by

providing adequate rest.
 Liarage

WATERING

 Animal should receive ample drinking water during their detention in

the lairage as this serves to lower the bacterial load in the intestine and
facilitates removal of the hide or pelt during dressing of the carcass.

 If animals receive unlimited water during their rest period prior to

slaughter stunning of animals by electrical and gaseous means becomes
more efficacious.

FEEDING

 Withholding feed from animals prior to slaughter helps in better bleeding

and the carcass appear brighter.

 In cattle withholding feed for a period of 6 hours prior to slaughter

minimizes the emigration of bacteria from the intestinal tract during
digestion.
 TRANSPORT OF FOOD ANIMALS

 Transport affects adversely the condition of the animal and the

consistency of the flesh.
 There are regulations in different countries, which govern the transport of
animals by rail and road and these should be strictly enforced.
 The careful handling of food animals before slaughtered has great
importance.
 Unsuitable conditions of rail or road transport frequently lead to injury,
lameness, and suffocation or transit fever.
 The danger is great for fat animals than for lean and is accentuated, the
more closely animals are loaded, the higher the temperature and the
longer the journey.
 Large and small cattle and animals of different species must be separated
by partitions.
 Animals undertaking a journey of 24 hours or more must be fed and
watered beforehand.
 And if the journey is of 36 hours duration they must be fed and watered
in transit.
 Water assists all animals to withstand heat.
 Fowls must only be transported in cages or other airy receptacles. Their
transport in sacks and also tying and carrying by their feet should be
prohibited.
 Transportation may take place by driving, trucking, rail and by boat or
ship.

ANTE-MORTEM INSPECTION OF FOOD ANIMALS

  Meat inspection may be defined as expert supervision of all meat
products with the object of providing wholesome meat for human
consumption and preventing danger to public.
 One of the aspects of meat inspection is examination of the live animals
on entry to the slaughterhouse known as ante-mortem inspection.
 This is an important inspection as it can represent at least 50% of
meat inspection, for it is an adequate inspection of carcasses or meat, and
makes the post-mortem examination much more efficient and less
laborious.
 This is done in the pens and alleys (lairage) of the official establishments
or in large slaughtering centres in the public stockyards.
 A proper meat inspection service consists of a veterinary examination of
the carcass and offal and where necessary, laboratory tests (pathological,
microbiological and chemical) of body tissues and fluids.

Definition

 Ante-mortem inspection is defined as the inspection of live animals done

in the lairage within 24 hours prior to slaughter by a qualified
Veterinarian to produce wholesome meat.

ANTE-MORTEM INSPECTION PROCEDURE

 Livestock should be inspected while at rest and in motion.

 In case of sick or diseased animals and those in poor conditions, the
species, class, age, condition, colour and marking are recorded.
 Special attention must be paid to casualty and emergency slaughter, none
of which should escape ante-mortem.
 The general behaviour of the animals, their level of nutrition, cleanliness
obvious signs of disease and any abnormalities should be observed.
 In addition to the segregation of diseased and suspected stock, females in
estrus, aggressive animals and horned and polled stock should be
isolated.
 Animals showing signs of systematic disturbance and an elevated
temperature should not be slaughtered but retained for treatment
preferably outside the meat plant.
 The immediate purpose of ante-mortem inspection is to separate normal
and abnormal stock.
 Normal animals are sent forward for slaughter, abnormal animals being
classified as either unfit for slaughter or affected with a localized
condition or one which will show post-mortem lesions.

STUNNING

 Stunning is the process of rendering animals immobile or

unconscious, with or without killing the animal, when or immediately
prior to slaughtering them for food.

 Penetrating captive bolt - used on cattle, sheep and some pigs. A gun
fires a metal bolt into the brain of the animal causing the animal to lose
consciousness immediately.

 Electrical - used on sheep, calves and pigs. An electrical current is passed

through the animal's brain via a large pair of tongs, causing temporary loss
of consciousness. Some systems also pass the current through the heart, so
the animal is not just stunned but also killed.
  Gas stunning/killing - of pigs, which involves the use of gas mixtures.
Pigs are exposed to high concentrations of gas (currently carbon dioxide).

SLAUGHTER

The methods of slaughter vary greatly not only in different countries but in
different parts of the same country sometimes.

 Those in which the animal is rendered unconscious before being bled.

 Those in which they are bled without previous stunning.
 Slaughter implies putting an animal to death and subsequently preparing
the carcass and organs for human food.
 Methods of Slaughter

RITUAL METHODS OF SLAUGHTER

 Ritual method of slaughter as opposed to humane slaughter is

slaughtering of animals while they are conscious.
 Ritual method of slaughter as the name suggests is bas on religious
tenets of a particular religion.
 The most commonly adopted ritual methods of slaughtered globally are
 Kosher method, as per the Judaism followed by Jews.
 Halal method, as per Islam followed by Muslims.

JEWISH METHOD

 "slaughter is carried out with a single cut to the throat

Halal or Muslim Method of Slaughter

HALAL OR MUSLIM METHOD OF SLAUGHTER

 Halal food is that which adheres to Islamic law, as defined in the Koran.
The Islamic form of slaughtering animals or poultry, dhabiha,
involves killing through a cut to the jugular vein, carotid artery and
windpipe. Animals must be alive and healthy at the time
of slaughter and all blood is drained from the carcass
 POST-MORTEM INSPECTION

Post-mortem inspection is defined as examination of dressed carcass, their

organs including blood immediately after slaughter to produce wholesome meat,
in a hygienic manner under adequate amount of light by a qualified meat
inspector.

Points do be followed while conducting post-mortem

 Slaughtering is limited to certain specified hours, which will be

convenient to the Inspector, butcher and purchasing public.
 There should be sufficient time and light for inspection after slaughter.
 Slaughtering should be done as far as possible in the presence of the
Inspector by any of the popular methods.
 The animal is bled, skinned (the preliminary portion only done in cattle),
the feet removed, the carcass is hauled up, off the ground and further
skinning carried out
 The abdomen is then incised, and the abdominal organs allowed falling in
front for the Inspector to inspect them.
 The organs are then received into a handcart and wheeled to a little
distance on one side.
 Uniform procedure to be followed. The outline of the
total procedure should be drawn and should be followed step by step.
 Never skip any step.
 Record the age, sex, and give a number to the animal (Carcass).
 While inspecting an organ, always look for the associated lymph nodes
and look for abnormalities.
 Post-mortem inspection is the examination of the carcass after dressing is
completed and done as early as possible.
  If the examination is delayed, particularly in beef and pork carcasses,
which set rapidly the examination of the carcass lymph nodes is more
difficult.
 The main purpose of post-mortem examination is to detect and eliminate
abnormalities, including contamination, thus ensuring that only meat fit
for human consumption is passed for food.
 The other subsidiary important aspects are checking the efficiency of
slaughter and carcass dressing techniques and diagnosis of disease
conditions for disease control purpose.
 Many abnormalities, which may not be evident on ante-mortem
examination affecting the animals, may be detected at post-
mortem inspection.

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FACILITIES FOR POST-MORTEM INSPECTION

 Each inspection point should have well distributed lighting, which does
not distort colours and at least 540-lux units (50-foot candles) in
intensity.
 In addition to the above, the major facilities like structural and
mechanical facilities, which provide for good working conditions to
enable carcasses and their parts to be delivered for inspection in a
satisfactory manner.
 There must be one or more hand-washing units (lavotories) with a supply
-roller toweling.
 Sterilizers for the complete immersion of knives, saws, cleavers, etc., are
essential.
 These requirements must extend to the routine inspection points on the
slaughter line and to the "detained" areas where further detailed
examination is performed.
 It is important that there should be coordination
between inspection points and that those on the slaughter line be grouped
to allow for correct identification of carcasses and viscera and recording
of disease data.
 GRADING

 Grading is defined as categorization and segregation of some items on the

basis of stipulated norms. It is generally of two types 1) Quality grading
2) Yield grading. In case of live animal grading, grading of carcasses and
grading of meat and meat products.
 Usually in animal grading traits of maturity (age), conformation and
marbling are primarily considered.
 Different countries have their own grading pattern and detailed
specifications to suit their market and consumer requirements. Most of
them have been adopted from USDA and modified as per the local needs.
 Live grading is a guide to quality grading and quality grading is guide to
preparation.
 Grading is a guide to selection.
 Grading is a guide to improve plans.
 In general, the grade of an animal is determined on the basis of three
grades factors.
 Conformation - Morphology of animal
 Quality - Neat
 Finish - Fatness of animal

Conformation

 It is the build, shape and outline (contour) of animal and its different
primal cuts (wholesale cuts).
 It is largely due to shape and size of the bones and muscles and the fat
covering.
 It is otherwise attributable to breeding, and care of the animal.

Quality

 It is the character of the muscle or the lean meat (without bone) of the
animal and of the intermuscular and intramuscular fat (marbling)
contained in the meat.
 It refers to firmness of the texture, freedom from coarseness to a certain
extent.
 External evidence of quality is found in the refinement of head, hide, hair,
bone.
 It is important as it is related to eating desirability i.e., tenderness
palatability, colour, juiciness, odour, water holding capacity, etc.
Finish

 Refers to the fatness of an animal.

 The fat on the outer surface of the carcass and
 Inter and intramuscular fat.
 It involves the quality, quantity and inherited factors, breeding and to a
large extent on
 Kind and quality of the animal,
 Age and sex of the animal,
 Methods of handling.

IMPORTANCE OF GRADING

 Grading helps the producer through authorized agencies to certify animal

and carcasses for class, quality and condition.
 Grading helps the producer to recognise the quality he produced and
paves ways for better planning to improve breeding programme and to
produce high-grade animals and carcasses.
 Grading helps the producer to select the required types according to the
needs of the market and consumer.
 Grading helps the consumers to purchase assured quality of meat and
gives satisfaction over the money spent on purchasing the meat.
 Grading enables the consumer to utilise meat most efficiently by
preparing it in the manner for which it is best suited.

Chemical Composition & Nutritive Value of Poultry Meat

 The gross poultry meat composition includes water, protein, fat, calcium,
phosphorus, iron, copper and other components important to eating quality.
Poultry meat has high content of protein around 2 1 per cent, fat 4.5 per cent.

 Moisture: The moisture content of meat from broiler, roaster and hen are 7 1
% to 74%, 66% and 56% respectively.

 Protein: Poultry meat is highly rich in protein and regarded as a

concentrated source of high quality protein. It is higher in protein content as
compared to red meats. Cooked poultry meat contains 25-30 per cent protein
depending 8pon the part of the carcass and the method of preparation
whereas beef contains 21 -27 per cent, pork 23-24 per cent and lamb 21-24
per cent.
 Carbohydrate: Small quantity of carbohydrate in meat provides texture and
eating quality. Conversion of glycogen to lactic acid during post-mortem
aging determine the pH of the meat and influence water holding capacity,
firmness and colour.

 Fat: The fat is deposited around certain organs and under the skin and later
marbling with muscle. Unlike red meats, most fat in poultry meat is
deposited under the skin. Diet includes animal fat and fat from oil seeds cake
component of feed. The fat content of poultry meat also depends upon the
part of the carcass. Fat content in poultry meat is relatively low (2.8 g/100
g breast and 13 g/100 g thigh).

 Vitamins: Poultry meat is a good source of many vitamins, such as niacin,

thiamin (vit B,), riboflavin (vit B,) and ascorbic acid (vit C). Poultry liver is
a rich source of vit A, vit B complex, vit C.

 Minerals: Poultry meat constitutes nearly 1 % of essential minerals like iron,

copper, zinc and selenium in significant amounts.

NUTRITIVE VALUE-
 Meat from poultry contains several important classes of nutrients. It is low in
calories in comparison to other type of meats.

 Meat fibers are tender, easy to chew or grind and easy to digest. Texture of
meat is considered by some to be synonymous to tenderness -juiciness,
softness of muscle fiber and connective tissue. Broiler meat is more tender
compared to birds of older age of same group.
 Poultry meat provides all essential amino acids in balanced proportion
required by human body.

 Poultry meat is rich in niacin and moderately rich in thiamine, riboflavin and
ascorbic acid. It is a good source of iron and phosphorus