Pre-slaughtering Phases and Meat Quality of Highly Profitable Cattle (Piedmontese Fat Ox)

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of the pre-slaughtering phases on animal welfare of highly profitable cattle (Piedmontese fat ox) and on meat quality, aged for long time (4–6 months). The study involved 14 Piedmontese fat oxes from four farms located in Piedmont (Northern Italy). The animals were slaughtered in a family-run slaughterhouse and the carcasses were stored in a static refrigerating room at 2 °C and aged for 4–6 months. Loading and transportation times, waiting times before stunning and travelling times were recorded. Hair and blood cortisol were measured (ELISA essay kit and chemiluminescence), to evaluate animal welfare respectively at farm level and during slaughter. The pH of meat was measured 72 h post-mortem and every week until the end of aging. The meat color was determined at 100–140 days of aging, using a colorimeter. Cooking losses were determined by cooking meat samples at a final internal temperature of 71 °C, and the Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) test was used to assess their tenderness. The average distance travelled from the farms to the slaughterhouse was approximately 200 km, with an average travel time of 3 h and an interval time between loading and stunning of 8 h. The average hair and blood cortisol concentrations were respectively 1.05 pg/mg and 4.58 µg/dl. The pH of meat ranged between 5.87 and 5.99 72 h post-mortem and reached values close to neutrality at the end of aging period. The color of meat surface was compatible with the long aging time. Cooking losses were on average 21.6% of the samples weight. The meat showed a marked tenderness with low shear force values (1.72 kgf/cm2). Pre-slaughtering phases did not affect animal welfare quality of meat aged for long time.