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Review Article

Pre-slaughter pig welfare and carcass and meat quality

Artur Rybarczyk , Izabella Tobolska 

Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego 38c, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 22(1), 2023, 3‒16
2. DOI: 10.21005/asp.2023.22.1.01

Abstract. For a large number of consumers today, primarily young ones, acceptance of a foodstuff such as meat is often linked to demands for appropriate conditions for the maintenance of productive animals, as well as proper protective treatment during transport and slaughter. The way in which commercial and slaughter animals are handled is being viewed more and more critically by the public. The increasing sensitivity of consumers to the fate of animals in recent years is also reflected in the emergence of new legislation. The quality of pork meat largely depends on how the animals are handled, and in particular on factors related to pre-slaughter marketing and the conditions of slaughter itself. During pre-slaughter marketing, the body of fattening animals and the quality of pork are particularly adversely affected by conditions during loading, transport, holding in the livestock warehouse, and slaughter. Carried out even under the best conditions, they induce a severe stress for pigs, resulting in significant reduction in the quantity and quality of meat.

Keywords: pigs; welfare; stress, transport; lairage time; carcass and meat quality