Broiler Chicken Meat Inspection Data in Brazil: A First Glimpse into an Animal Welfare Approach

Abstract

We aimed to study the potential use of carcass condemnation data of broiler chicken slaughterhouses in Brazil as indicators in an animal welfare monitoring program, and to identify points to be addressed to increase data reliability. Data from 2010 to 2015 in the states of Paraná (PR), Santa Catarina (SC) and Rio Grande do Sul (RS) were used. Fractures and bruising were recorded together, representing the most prevalent welfare problem, followed by skin lesion or inflammation. In PR, progressive increases on injury, arthritis, ineffective bleeding, and air sacculitis condemnation may reveal important welfare aspects. High correlation between AWI within PR was more commonly observed than in RS and SC, perhaps as a result of earlier implementation of local meat inspection standardization. Principal component analysis showed changes on condemnation data pattern in PR after standardization, pointing injury and Escherichia coli problems as the main causes for condemnation related to animal welfare. There is considerable potential to improve animal health and welfare surveillance using meat inspection structure that is already in place for food safety purposes, provided that the competent authority harmonizes the procedure of meat inspection among the States, sets specific animal welfare outcomes to be monitored, and integrates condemnation, transport and flock data. It seems crucial to update data collection to establish a routine that allows risk analysis regarding both food safety and animal welfare. In this regard, cooperative work between Federal Inspection and companies seems an interesting approach to promote transparency of the production processes, which would benefit society and animals.

Salmonella enterica Serovar Minnesota Biofilms, Susceptibility to Biocides, and Molecular Characterization

“…Brazil is one of the largest producers and exporters of chicken meat in the world [ 6 ]. Information about resistance to biocide agents, virulence factors of strains, its genetic diversity, and their ability to form biofilms in an industrial environment are extremely important, considering the difficulty of Salmonella control and the constant need for knowledge about the emergence of this microorganism in the country, which can contribute to the strategic development of measures for the control and prevention of salmonellosis at a global level [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

White Striping and Wooden Breast Myopathies in the Poultry Industry: An Overview of Changes in the Skin, Bone Tissue and Intestinal Microbiota and Their Economic Impact

“…In a study conducted between the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, evaluating the condemnation of birds, it was observed that injuries were the main cause of condemnation in 2015, followed by dermatoses. These same authors report that the third highest incidence of condensation is associated with dorsal skull myopathy [49]. In the State of Paraná, which slaughter more than the others in absolute numbers, the percentage of convictions increases.…”

“…Also, meat mortality and inspection data are considered to establish maximum values of stocking density. Dermatitis, parasitic infections and systemic diseases should also be measured to identify signs of poor well-being [49].…”

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

“…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) (BRASIL, 1998(BRASIL, , 2017. Considering the importance of Brazil as a global producer and supplier of animal protein, studies have used these data to analyze and propose improvements to the sector (Muchon et al, 2019;Souza et al, 2018;Souza et al, 2021).…”