Pork Processing in Southwestern Nigeria: Peculiarities, Animal Welfare Concerns and Public Health Implications

Omotosho, Olugbenga Adeshola; Emikpe, Benjamin Obukowho; Lasisi, O. Taiwo; Oladunjoye, Olalere Vincent

doi:10.21010/ajid.v10i2.11

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…To actualise the effective implementation of humane slaughter practices in Nigerian slaughterhouses remains very challenging, largely due to the limited mechanised slaughter facilities [61]. Moreover, stunning prior to bleeding during the slaughter process can greatly reduce pain perception.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Slaughter Conditions and Slaughtering of Pregnant Cows in Southeast Nigeria: Implications to Meat Quality, Food Safety and Security

Njoga

Nwobi

et al. 2021

Foods

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The increase in the slaughter of pregnant cows (SPCs) for meat (except as may be approved by veterinarians on health grounds to salvage the animal) is unethical. SPCs for meat is also counterproductive, detrimental to food security, and may enhance zoonotic disease transmission. In this context, therefore, this current study examined slaughter conditions and the slaughtering of pregnant cows, and the implications for meat quality, food safety, and food security in Southeast Nigeria. The direct observational method was employed to examine the slaughterhouse activities, from when the cattle arrived at the lairage to the post-slaughter stage. A pre-tested and validated closed-ended-questionnaire was used to elicit information on causes of the SPCs and the method of disposal of eviscerated foetuses. Pregnancy status of cows slaughtered was determined by palpation followed by visual examination of the eviscerated and longitudinal incised uteri. The study lasted for six months during which 851 cows out of 1931 slaughtered cattle were surveyed. Assessment/decision-making protocol of slaughterhouse conditions, welfare conditions of slaughter-cattle, reasons for sale or slaughter of pregnant cows, distribution of pregnant cows slaughtered, method of disposal of eviscerated foetuses, and estimated economic losses of SPCs were delineated. Of the 851 cows examined, 17.4% (148/851) were pregnant while 43.2% (64/148) of the total foetuses recovered were in their third trimester. Major reasons adduced for SPCs by proportion of involved respondents were: ignorance of the animals’ pregnancy status (69.7%, 83/119), high demand for beef (61.3%, 73/119), preference for large-sized cattle (47.9%, 57/119), economic hardship (52.1%, 62/119) and diseases conditions (42.9%. 51/119). The conduct of SPCs for meat would not be profitable. This is because within six months, an estimated loss of about 44,000 kg of beef, equivalent to ₦ 70.1 million or $186,400 would be associated with SPCs and the consequential foetal wastages. If losses were to be replicated nationwide across slaughterhouses, 4.3 tons of beef estimated at ₦ 8.6 billion or $23 million would be wasted. Improving slaughter conditions and the welfare of slaughter-cattle in Nigerian slaughterhouses through advocacy, training of slaughterhouse workers, and strict implementation of laws promoting humane slaughter practices is imperative. Preventing SPCs for meat and inhumane slaughter practices at the slaughterhouse would enhance the welfare needs of slaughter cattle, grow the national herd size, and improve meat safety as well as food security.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Slaughter Conditions and Slaughtering of Pregnant Cows in Southeast Nigeria: Implications to Meat Quality, Food Safety and Security

Njoga

Nwobi

et al. 2021

Foods

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“…This practice violates OIE, [10] recommendations that animals must be free from injury and pain. With humane restraint, other possible affordable and less invasive alternatives to this practice include: scrapping off bristles of pigs still with sharp blades to form signs unique to each owner as practiced in Nigeria [67] and use of slap marks as practiced in the United Kingdom [68].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of gross lesions and handling practices in pigs and their association with pork quality, Kiambu, Kenya

et al. 2022

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Pre-slaughter handling of pigs has been documented to affect the quality of meat though no studies have investigated this relationship in the Kenyan context. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of gross lesions and practices related to sub-optimal welfare in pigs presented for slaughter while analyzing the relationship between occurrence of these lesions and meat quality. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a medium scale, non-integrated pig abattoir supplying to the Nairobi market, with a capacity to slaughter approximately 40 pigs a day. Data on welfare-associated lesions and handling practices were obtained from 529 pig carcasses and traders respectively. 387 pork samples were collected, and their quality evaluated by measuring their pH, meat color and drip loss. These three parameters were used to classify pork into four recognized categories namely: Red, Firm, Non-exudative (RFN), Pale Soft Exudative (PSE), Dark Firm Dry (DFD) and Red Soft Exudative (RSE). Almost all pigs were inefficiently stunned as evidenced by the presence of consciousness post-stunning. The majority of pigs (82.97%) having one or more welfare-associated gross lesions. Other animal welfare malpractices observed were high loading density and inadequate rest periods between transport and slaughter. A quarter of the pork samples were of sub-optimal quality including: RSE (11.36%), PSE (2.58%) and DFD (2.58%). Multinomial logistic regression revealed that pork originating from pigs transported at a high loading density had increased odds of being classified as DFD (OR 13.41, 95% CI 2.59–69.46). The findings indicate the need to educate stakeholders in the pork value chains on improved pig handling before and during slaughter to enhance pig welfare pre-slaughter and pork quality post-slaughter. Animal welfare legislation enforcement and implementation was observed to be insufficient. There is a need to educate key stakeholders on its importance of being put into practice both from economic and welfare perspectives.

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“…Unlike CFPRs, the few relevant studies on APRs in Nigeria are mostly qualitative (focusing on pollution and health risks, e.g., Adeyemi and Adeyemo, 2007;Nwanta et al, 2010) and fragmented, with findings pitched at the city (Chukwu et al, 2011;Orunoye, 2015), state (Aniebo et al, 2009) or zonal levels (Omole and Ogbiye, 2013;Omotosho et al, 2016). Also, data sources on numbers of animals slaughtered, mostly informed by physical observation, are localised and incomplete.…”

Section: Magnitude Of Inedible Biogenic Fraction Of Afw In Nigeriamentioning

confidence: 99%

Country-level assessment of agrifood waste and enabling environment for sustainable utilisation for bioenergy in Nigeria

Afolabi

Leonard

Osei

et al. 2021

Journal of Environmental Management

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Pork Processing in Southwestern Nigeria: Peculiarities, Animal Welfare Concerns and Public Health Implications

Cited by 11 publications

References 11 publications

Slaughter Conditions and Slaughtering of Pregnant Cows in Southeast Nigeria: Implications to Meat Quality, Food Safety and Security

Slaughter Conditions and Slaughtering of Pregnant Cows in Southeast Nigeria: Implications to Meat Quality, Food Safety and Security

Prevalence of gross lesions and handling practices in pigs and their association with pork quality, Kiambu, Kenya

Country-level assessment of agrifood waste and enabling environment for sustainable utilisation for bioenergy in Nigeria

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