Evaluación de hematomas en las canales bovinas como método para determinar la calidad de la carne y su relación con el bienestar animal

Abstract

This study was conducted at the slaughtering center in Cuenca and focused on examining the relationship between bruises on slaughtered carcasses, which serve as indicators of animal welfare during the ante-mortem stages. The objective was to determine the presence of bruises on bovine carcasses arriving at the slaughterhouse from fairs or livestock farms. A postmortem evaluation was conducted, assessing the number of bruises, their size, anatomical location on the carcass, color, and shape. A total of 400 bovine carcasses were evaluated, revealing 948 bruises on 351 carcasses. In terms of bruise size, 59.4% were classified as small, 29.96% as medium, and 10.7% as large. The region with the highest percentage of bruises was the rump (hips), followed by the rib region (ribcage) and the dorsal lumbar region (loin). Fresh red bruises were found most frequently (98.95%) compared to bluish bruises (0.11%) and yellow bruises (0.95%). Irregularly shaped bruises were the most common (65.82%), followed by circular bruises (14.35%) and linear bruises (12.24%). The results highlight the involvement of farmers, fair personnel, livestock transport personnel, and slaughterhouse staff in proper handling to ensure animal welfare and reduce the occurrence of bruises