From the point of public health, the objective of the slaughterhouse is to guarantee the safety of meat in which meat inspection represent an essential tool to control animal diseases and guarantee the public health. The slaughterhouse can be used as surveillance center for livestock diseases. However, other aspects related with animal and human health, such as epidemiology and disease control in primary production, control of animal welfare on the farm, surveillance of zoonotic agents responsible for food poisoning, as well as surveillance and control of antimicrobial resistance, can be monitored. These controls should not be seen as a last defensive barrier but rather as a complement to the controls carried out on the farm. Regarding the control of diseases in livestock, scientific research is scarce and outdated, not taking advantage of the potential for disease control. Animal welfare in primary production and during transport can be monitored throughout ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection at the slaughterhouse, providing valuable individual data on animal welfare. Surveillance and research regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at slaughterhouses is scarce, mainly in cattle, sheep, and goats. However, most of the zoonotic pathogens are sensitive to the antibiotics studied. Moreover, the prevalence at the slaughterhouse of zoonotic and foodborne agents seems to be low, but a lack of harmonization in terms of control and communication may lead to underestimate its real prevalence.

The study of wounds in live cattle and carcass bruises can be used as welfare indicators at preslaughter stages (farm and transport). The knowledge about the aetiology for both wounds and bruises may develop strategies to reduce its prevalence, improve cattle welfare and decrease the economic losses related to partial condemnations. The current work assesses the presence of bruises in cattle carcasses. A total of 236 (51.08%) out of 462 cattle displayed bruises. Most bruises were small (46%), circular (26.8%)/irregular (48.9%), haemorrhagic (63.6%) and superficial (81.1%). The occurrence of bruises was influenced (p < .01) by sex, age, breed, production (beef or dairy), body condition score, cleanliness, sex at lairage pens and lairage time. Transport time and distance influenced neither wounds nor bruises (p > .05). From a practical point of view, the results of the current work highlight the role of farmers, personnel involved in cattle transport and slaughterhouse staff to control and optimise cattle welfare to decrease the occurrence of bruises. Because most bruising resulted from recent events, management measures, such as keeping cattle of the same sex, age, and body condition score in lairage pens, may decrease the occurrence and further economic losses associated with partial condemnations. HIGHLIGHTSOccurrence of bruised carcass in cattle was over 50%. Most bruises were small, circular/irregular, superficial and recent. Sex and age were the largest risk factors of bruised carcasses. Assessment of carcass bruises can be used as a welfare indicator.