Origin of broiler carcass condemnations

Abstract

The objective of the present research was to study the incidence of broiler carcass condemnations over eleven years and identify the productive phase that causes greater loss in slaughter process. The origin of these condemnations was determined before and after fasting. Evaluated broilers were reared in positive pressure warehouses and slaughtered between 28 and 34 days old with carcass weight ranging from 0.7 to 1.4 kg. Fasting occurred, on average, 9 h before the slaughter. Condemnation and slaughter data were collected from 2004 to 2014 in a slaughterhouse with slaughter capacity of 120,000 broilers/day. The causes of rearing condemnations were airsaccullitis, arthritis, abscess, ascites, cachexia, cellulitis, colibacillosis, dermatosis, salpingitis, hemorrhagic syndrome, and neoplasia; and the causes of pre-slaughter and slaughter condemnations were bruising, fracture, inadequate bleeding, excessive scaling, contamination, dehydration, death at the platform, disgusting appearance, and delayed evisceration. The mean values of total and partial condemnations per year, occurrence and proportion of condemnations index (OCI) for every thousand broilers slaughtered, and rates of pre and post-fasting condemnations were calculated. Condemnations rates (%) and OCI were higher after fasting; partial and total contamination stood out, with a frequency of 77% and 30%, respectively, after fasting. Long fasting, uneven lots or unbalanced equipment may cause extravasation of the gastrointestinal contents and contaminate broiler carcasses. Practices such as monitoring fasting and equipment adjustment to broiler carcass size may reduce carcass condemnation incidence.

Time series evaluation of condemnation at poultry slaughterhouses enable to export in Southeastern Brazil (2009–2019): a tool for optimizing resources in the poultry production chain

“…1 ) showed that the COI of poultry carcasses is a useful tool in the identification of historical variations of condemnation. These trends reflect technologies used, sanitary conditions of the batch, and employee training policies [ 3 – 5 ]. Therefore, the proper recording and analysis of the occurrences of condemnation in a slaughterhouse are essential for the planning of preventive measures, aiming at economic gains for the meat supply chain [ 10 , 11 ].…”

“…Among the possible causes of contamination, the extravasation of gastrointestinal contents deserves special attention as it is one of the main sources of foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella spp., E. coli , and Campylobacter jejuni [ 20 , 23 , 25 ]. Carcass contamination occurs largely due to difficulties in adjusting equipment during the slaughter of uneven batches, or fasting periods in disagreement with the recommendations [ 3 , 7 ].…”

“…The second main cause of condemnation (injury/traumatic injury), as well as contamination, is also considered a technological failure and is usually related to problems during the catching, transport, or hanging of poultry [ 22 , 26 , 27 ]. Therefore, the integration of the production chain (producers and slaughterhouse) and training focused on good management practices and animal welfare are essential for reducing condemnation [ 3 , 4 , 28 ].…”

“…These condemnations resulting from technological failures are part of the daily routine of poultry slaughterhouses. In this way, continuous actions need to be incorporated into the establishments’ practices, such as training and preventive maintenance of equipment, to reduce these problems [ 3 , 29 , 30 ]. It should be noted, however, that specific studies must be adopted in each slaughterhouse to identify the real cause of the problem among all the variables that may be involved.…”

“…Among their responsibilities, the official veterinarian is responsible for inputting the daily condemnation data into the Management Information System of the Federal Inspection Service (MISFIS) [ 1 , 2 ]. Considering the importance of Brazil as a producer and supplier of animal protein to the world, studies have used the daily condemnation data to analyze and propose improvements that contribute to the sector [ 3 – 5 ].…”