Risk factors and prevalence of carcass lesions associated with pre-slaughter logistics and ultimate meat pH in finishing pigs under mountainous tropical conditions
Abstract
Globally, the pre-slaughter logistics chain in the pork industry must meet commercial demands while operating through interconnected nodes, from the farm of origin to transport and abattoir operations. The present study evaluated 1841 carcasses of finishing pigs at abattoir level, assessing six anatomical regions for skin lesions, tail injuries and claw cracks, along with ultimate pH and detailed pre-slaughter logistics. Skin lesions were highly prevalent, exceeding 97% of carcasses, with severe damage in 8% and consistent patterns in the neck-shoulder, flank and loin regions. Multivariate models showed that lesion risk depended on the production system, road quality, journey dynamics and lairage duration. Tail lesions were rare (
Fields of Study & Subjects
Meat and Animal Product Quality
Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiology
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Meat Science
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Volume
- 235
- Pages
- 110051–110051
- Publication date
- 2 February 2026
- Language
- EN