Abstract

ESMERALDA DESDEMONA, Martínez. Effect of the pre slaughter lairage time as an animal welfareindicator on the meat quality of sheep. Compend. cienc. vet [online]. 2020, vol.10, n.1, pp.33-40. ISSN 2226-1761.  https://doi.org/10.18004/compend.cienc.vet.2020.10.01.33.

With the objective to evaluate the effect of pre slaughter lairage time on the meat quality of sheep, where analyzed 108 carcasses by age group from 5 to 7 months MO1 (n=67), 8 to 11 months MO2 (n=41), to the phenotypes Katahdin KA (n=46), Dorper DO (n=20), Blackbelly BB (n=26) and Pelibuey PE (n=16), with 0 (n=23), 6 (n=24), 12 (n=14), 18 (n=21) and 24 (n=26) pre-slaughter lairage time. The variables evaluated were potential of hydrogen (pH), water holding capacity (WHC), meat color (MC) and shear force (SF). The data were analyzed with a nested statistical model. All the phenotypes of the lamb without and 6 lairage time showed greater pH values (6.15 to 6.45), lower a* and b* values. This is characteristic of dark, firm and dry meat (DFD). On the contrary, the sheep with 18 lairage time had a normal pH values (5.8 to 5.9), a* and b* values. The WHC was greater (63.21%) from MO1 and 12 h of lairage time. In conclusion the lairage time in the pens before to the slaughter should be established due to the phenotype and the age of slaughtering.

Keywords : Potential of hydrogen; meat color; water holding capacity; phenotype; age..

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