Review on Beef Cattle Pre-slaughter Stress and Its Effect on Meat and Carcass Quality

Abstract

Pre-slaughter stress includes all the conditions and practices that apply during the period when the animal is moved from source or market to entry into the stunning box at the abattoir. Cattle can be stressed during transportation, marketing and handling at abattoirs. During such condition physiological changes (increased heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, activity of enzymes, stress hormones (cachecholamine, cortisol) and glycolysis)  has been occur which used to measure stress before cattle slaughter. Such changes affect the meat quality by depleting muscle glycogen which result in lower rate of post-mortem lactic acid synthesis, high ultimate pH, tough meat, abnormal muscle color and high water retention capacity. Keywords : pre-slaughter stress, quality, meat, carcass, and physiological. DOI : 10.7176/ALST/78-01 Publication date: February 29 th 2020