Effect of cardiac arrest at slaughter on residual blood content of hide

Abstract

Inducing a cardiac arrest between stunning and sticking in cattle had no effect on the residual blood content of the hide. Skin from animals which had been dead for about 15 min, but not bled, contained twice as much blood as skin from animals slaughtered in a normal manner. It is concluded, therefore, that the fellmongering problems which are associated with excessive amounts of blood in the hide should not be a problem when stunning methods which simultaneously induce a cardiac arrest are used. This should hold true provided the animal is stuck promptly after it has undergone heart failure.