Causes of Post-Mortem Carcass and Organ Condemnations and Economic Loss Assessment in a Cattle Slaughterhouse

Simple Summary The inspection of edible parts from slaughtered animals, performed by veterinarians, is essential to ensure meat safety and to limit the exposure of consumers to risks. Likewise, this action constitutes a useful tool in providing baseline data for veterinary practitioners regarding the occurrence of disease in livestock at farm level, diseases which are not detectable in live animals. The detection of pathological lesions results in total or partial rejection of the meat, with subsequent economic losses for producers. The present study aimed to enhance the knowledge regarding these concerns by studying a total of 151,741 slaughtered cattle. The results showed that all types of edible parts of animals (carcasses, livers, lungs, hearts, and kidneys) presented one or more abnormalities, with various degrees of intensity, from 13.26% (for carcasses) to 0.27% (for kidneys). The overall financial losses due to carcass and organ condemnations was estimated at EUR 3,661,400.4 and EUR 360,316.9, respectively, representing 1.17% of the total achievable net revenue without rejections. The survey demonstrated that data recorded during meat inspections can be regarded as important sources of information for veterinary and public health authorities in terms of monitoring, control, and eradication programs for some diseases with public health and/or economic importance.Abstract The study was undertaken to investigate the main causes of carcass and organ condemnations, as well as to estimate the financial losses suffered by a cattle slaughterhouse. In this regard, an active abattoir survey, based on standard post-mortem inspection procedures for meat, was conducted on 151,741 cattle, from January 2021 to December 2022. Overall, 13.27% (n = 20,125) of the carcasses expressed lesions or pathological conditions and, out of them, 1.15% (n = 1738) were totally confiscated, while another 12.12% (n = 18,387) were partially admitted for human consumption. In the case of organs, the general inspection data reveal that 12.28% (n = 18,630), 7.56% (n = 11,477), 1.89% (n = 2862), and 0.27% (n = 412) of the examined liver, lung, heart, and kidney specimens presented one or more types of abnormalities. In addition, regarding the types of specific pathological findings, dystrophies/anomalies (69.8%), circulatory disorders (40.6%), fecal contamination (60.9%), and suspected bacterial/viral infections showed a dominant occurrence in the liver, lung, heart, and kidneys, respectively. Consequently, the total direct financial losses resulting from edible part condemnation over the two years was estimated at EUR 4,021,717.3, which represents 1.17% of the total achievable net revenue without carcass and organ condemnation. Of this, EUR 3,661,400.4 (1.07%) and EUR 360,316.9 (8.73%) was related to carcass and organ condemnation, respectively. The study results demonstrate that the post-mortem inspection of meat at the slaughterhouse level plays a crucial role in identifying pathological lesions, in addition to some other issues, such as fecal contamination or non-compliant laboratory results, relevant to both public health and economic factors.

Automated summary

This study investigated the causes of carcass and organ condemnations and estimated the financial losses suffered by a cattle slaughterhouse. The results showed that all types of edible parts had abnormalities, with different degrees of severity. The total direct financial losses resulting from edible part condemnation over the two years was estimated at EUR 4,021,717.3, which represents 1.17% of the total achievable net revenue.