Risk factors and prevalence of carcass lesions associated with pre-slaughter logistics and ultimate meat pH in finishing pigs under mountainous tropical conditions

IF 6.1 1区农林科学 Q1 Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Meat Science Pub Date : 2026-05-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-02 DOI:10.1016/j.meatsci.2026.110051

Adriana P. Pastrana-Camacho , Genaro C. Miranda-de la Lama , Nancy F. Huanca-Marca , Laura X. Estévez-Moreno

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Abstract

Globally, the pre-slaughter logistics chain in the pork industry must meet commercial demands while operating through interconnected nodes, from the farm of origin to transport and abattoir operations. The present study evaluated 1841 carcasses of finishing pigs at abattoir level, assessing six anatomical regions for skin lesions, tail injuries and claw cracks, along with ultimate pH and detailed pre-slaughter logistics. Skin lesions were highly prevalent, exceeding 97% of carcasses, with severe damage in 8% and consistent patterns in the neck–shoulder, flank and loin regions. Multivariate models showed that lesion risk depended on the production system, road quality, journey dynamics and lairage duration. Tail lesions were rare (<10%), while claw cracks (∼20%) were associated with farm size, carcass weight and transport conditions. Meat quality was strongly influenced by logistics, with 7% of carcasses classified as PSE, 27% as DFD and 34% as borderline DFD. DFD was related to long and fast journeys on paved mountain routes, whereas PSE was linked to injuries in the head–ear region. Overall, carcass-based indicators provided an integrated retrospective assessment of welfare in tropical mountain systems, where transport demands and infrastructure variability influence both welfare and meat quality.

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山区热带条件下育肥猪宰前物流和最终肉pH值相关的胴体病变风险因素和流行程度

在全球范围内，猪肉行业的屠宰前物流链必须满足商业需求，同时通过相互关联的节点，从原产地农场到运输和屠宰场运营。本研究在屠宰场水平评估了1841具育肥猪尸体，评估了6个解剖区域的皮肤损伤、尾部损伤和爪裂，以及最终pH值和详细的屠宰前物流。皮肤损伤非常普遍，超过97%的尸体，8%的尸体有严重损伤，颈肩、侧腹和腰部区域有一致的模式。多变量模型表明，损伤风险与生产系统、道路质量、出行动态和养护时间有关。尾巴损伤很少见（10%），而爪裂（20%）与养殖场规模、胴体重量和运输条件有关。肉质受到物流的强烈影响，7%的胴体被归类为PSE， 27%为DFD， 34%为边缘DFD。DFD与在山路上长途快速旅行有关，而PSE与头耳区域的损伤有关。总体而言，基于胴体的指标提供了对热带山地系统福利的综合回顾性评估，其中运输需求和基础设施的可变性影响福利和肉类质量。

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来源期刊

Meat Science 工程技术-食品科技

CiteScore

12.60

自引率

9.90%

发文量

282

审稿时长

60 days

期刊介绍： The aim of Meat Science is to serve as a suitable platform for the dissemination of interdisciplinary and international knowledge on all factors influencing the properties of meat. While the journal primarily focuses on the flesh of mammals, contributions related to poultry will be considered if they enhance the overall understanding of the relationship between muscle nature and meat quality post mortem. Additionally, papers on large birds (e.g., emus, ostriches) as well as wild-captured mammals and crocodiles will be welcomed.