Condemnation of pork carcasses by cannibalism in slaughterhouse from Northern Mesoregion Mato-grossense, Brazil

Abstract

Among the disturbances resulting from stress is cannibalism, in the confinement of swines, it is caused by suffering environmental disturbances. Therefore, the aimed of this study was to analyze the rates of condemnation of swine carcasses for cannibalism in the period from January to April 2020 in a slaughterhouse located in the Northern Mesoregion Mato-grossense - Brazil. Data were conducted using ANOVA and Tukey Test (α=0.05). The study of proportions was also carried out as a statistical basis to calculate the percentage of destinations and the total amount of condemned swine carcasses. The averages of the condemned, released and used carcasses show a statistical difference (p<0.05) between the months studied. The monthly averages were 112.25 condemned carcasses (64.25 released, 35 used conditionally and 13 destined for rendering). In the total of carcasses condemned for cannibalism, there were values of 57.28% for release, 31.18% for conditional use and 11.58% for rendering, with a higher incidence in March. The incidence of cannibalism can be considered low in relation to the number of animals slaughtered in a four-month period. However, the economic impact must be taken into account, because the loss due to total conviction and conditional use cause significant financial losses. In addition, uncomfortable production environments have factors closely related to cannibalism, being difficult to control after the outbreak begins. Therefore, the incidence of cannibalism can influence the final carcass yield of swines slaughtered in the finishing phase.

The Importance of the Slaughterhouse in Surveilling Animal and Public Health: A Systematic Review

“…Vertebral osteomyelitis is the main condemnation of pig carcass in Portugal [ 23 , 105 , 109 ]. Tail biting has been described as a predisposing factor for osteomyelitis in pigs [ 110 , 111 ]. This behavior has been widely studied as an indicator of reduced animal welfare, although it may be influenced by various external and internal factors such as the environment, feeding, housing, male-to-female ratio, genetics, sex, or age, among others [ 112 , 113 ].…”