INFLUENCE OF EXSANGUINATION ON PSE CHARAC TERISTICS IN PIGS - POSSIBILITIES TO ELIMINATE REFLECTORY AND MOTORICAL CRAMPS DURING EXSANGUINATION

Results are given on the effect of the mechanical and motorical loads during exsanguination of pigs to the PSE characteristics of pig muscle s of leg and back. The breed of pigs was of reduced PSE sensitivity. A stage of strong clonical cramps was observed during exsanguination of lying pigs similar to hanging pigs. However, exsanguination of lying pigs reduced the number of pigs with PSE characteristics to 7 % instea d of 25 % at hanging pigs. The mean value of pH(1) in muscles of lying pigs was 0.4 units higher than in hanging pigs. The absorbed meat jui ce at chops was 20 % smaller. This indirectly supports the higher mean values of pH(1) in chops. Because the exsanguination of lying pigs is hardly possible in existing slaughterhouses, therefore it is necessar y to minimize the clonical cramps or to mit theses movements during st unning and exsanguination by means of suitable measures. Subsequent in vestigations were directed to test several combinations of mechanical and electrical stunning procedures to supress cramps during exsanguina tion: stunning by captive bolt and subsequent electro coma processing directly in the brain or usual electro coma stunning combined with ele ctrical spinal stimulation at three different times: at the same time with electrical stunning by tongs Just after electrical stunning, and during hanging and exsanguination of pigs. The combination of captive bolt and immediately electrical coma processing directly in the brain showed no success. Also combination of electrical stunning and simulta neous electrical spinal processing was not successful. The combination of electrical stunning by tongs and following electrical spinal proce ssing at the lumbar region reduced the clonic cramps in part. Optimal results with regards to motionless at hanging of the pigs achieved by combination of electrical stunning by tongs and electrical spinal proc essing at the lumbar region 15 seconds after beginning of exsanguinati on. Parameters of electrical spinal processing: I < 0.15 A;U = 150 V; time t = 10 sec. The hanging and exsanguinating pigs showed a strong s trech cramp immediately after beginning of the electrical spinal curre nt in the field between 8. breast and 1 lumbar vertebra. The cramp set tled not before the electrical flow ended. After this processing a com plete and continuous immobilization by skacking musculature was achiev ed at the entire pig during exsanguination.