Pre-slaughter handling of reindeer bulls {Rangifer tarandus tarandus L.) — effects on technological and sensory meat quality, blood metabolites and muscular and abomasal lesions

Abstract

Forty-one reindeer bulls (age 1 1/2 years) were subjected to different pre-slaughter treatments: herding for a short distance to a grazing corral, selection by use of a lasso, lorry transport and helicopter herding for 1, 2 and 3 days respectively. As control, 9 reindeer were shot without previous handling (in the mountains). The results indicated the traditional selection technique of using a lasso to be the most stressful and glycogen-depleting handling procedure so far studied. In the lasso-selected reindeer the lowest glycogen values and the highest ultimate pH values in the meat were measured. The values of the measured parameters indicating stress (aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), urea, Cortisol and abomasal lesions) were also highest in these reindeer. By contrast, the modern method of herding by helicopter was not found to be detrimental to glycogen content, ultimate pH, the measured blood metabolites, or the frequency of abomasal lesions. In all treatment groups degenerative lesions were observed in the skeletal muscles. No relarionship between technological and sensory meat quality characteristics and skeletal muscle lesions in reindeer could, however, be found in this study. The study confirmed an earlier finding that a 'stress-flavour' could develop in reindeer meat after intensive pre-slaughter handling of the animals. Further study of when and how such "stress-flavour" develops ought to be undertaken

Exogenous and Endogenous Factors Influencing Color of Fresh Meat from Ungulates

“…Hoffman (2001a) reported that many game animals tend to produce DFD meat due to prolonged stress during the cropping/harvesting process. Numerous studies on pre-slaughter handling processes of red deer have shown that these animals were also prone to DFD (Wiklund et al, 1995;Malmfors and Wiklund, 1996;Wiklund et al, 1996;Wiklund et al, 2001;Wiklund and Malmfors, 2004). The susceptibility of muscles to DFD differs and is determined mainly by differences in muscle fiber type.…”

The effects of pre-slaughter selection of reindeer bulls (Rangifer tarandus tarandus L.) on technological and sensory meat quality, blood metabolites and abomasal lesions

“…From these studies it was concluded that helicopter herding, lorry transport and lairage at the slaughterhouse did not significantly impair ultimate pH values or glycogen content in the muscles (Wiklund etal., 1995;1996a;1996b). The traditional lasso selection technique however was evidently a very stressful and glycogen-depleting handling procedure (Wiklund et al, 1996b). Furthermore, the sensory quality of the meat appeared to be affected by pre-slaughter handling, as a 'stress-flavour' was detected in meat from reindeer subjected to gathering, lasso selection and helicopter herding, whereas this flavour was not detectable in meat from reindeer shot in the mountains.…”

“…The model for comparing muscle and blood parameters and abomasal lesions included the fixed effect of treatment group. When the sensory attributes of the longissimus muscle were compared, the model included the random effect of animal nested within treatment group, as well as the fixed effects of treatment group and panel As in earlier studies (Wiklund et al, 1995;1996a;1996b) pH values were converted in the statistical analyses to hydrogen ion concentrations and when presenting the mean values they were transformed back from estimates on the concentration scale. Standard errors, however, become non-symmettic and error ranges on the pH scale were therefore calculated from the estimated means ± standard errors.…”

“…The sensory profile of the reindeer meat was assessed by a trained expert panel of 10 members, using a descriptive test (Stone & Sidel, 1985;Piggott, 1988). The questionnaire was formulated with particular reference to reindeer meat (Wiklund et al, 1996b). The definitions of the profile attributes are set out in Table 2, and the panel scored the sensoty attributes on a continuous intensity scale ranging from 0 (low intensity) to 9 (high intensity).…”

“…reindeer, meat quality traits (ultimate pH values, glycogen content and sensory quality) have been compared between animals handled differently preslaughter and animals shot undistutbed in the mountains. From these studies it was concluded that helicopter herding, lorry transport and lairage at the slaughterhouse did not significantly impair ultimate pH values or glycogen content in the muscles (Wiklund etal., 1995;1996a;1996b). The traditional lasso selection technique however was evidently a very stressful and glycogen-depleting handling procedure (Wiklund et al, 1996b).…”