The influence of ambient air temperature and relative humidity on CIE

(Minolta) L* and drip loss percentage in pig Longissimus dorsi

Raimundo, A. J. F.1; Simões, J. A.2; Barreto, A. S. F. H. 3
1Sector de Engenharia Agro-alimentar, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Santarém, Apartado 310, 2001-914 Santarém, Portugal araimundo@megamail.pt 49th ICOMST Campinas Brasil 2003
2Estação Zootécnica Nacional, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária, Fonte Boa, 2000-763 Vale de Santarém, Portugal
3Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, R. Prof. Cid dos Santos, Pólo Univ. Alto da Ajuda, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal

Conclusions
1) Temperature may significantly affect quality parameters, but, under the conditions studied may not be of practical relevance
2) Even though the animals had a long lairage resting period, because they are manipulated in the early morning hours [05h00 (or earlier)-07h30], the
effect of minimum daily temperature – during which animals more suffered a temperature effect - seems to be more useful in explaining variation in the
parameters studied
3) Attention should be given to the accomplishment of a uniform human control of lairage environmental conditions, which are hinted to be – by
observation – rather controlled by human discomfort than by pig discomfort, with the implications of this – amongst others - on pig welfare, variation in
meat quality and profitability
4) This type of study should be carried out in larger groups of animals submitted to shorter lairage periods and in warmer days - so that a larger amplitude
of multifactorial real situations could be understood – the interaction between temperature and RH should be analysed

Results

Day of transport Day of transport

Minimum daily temperature levels in geographical area of slaughterhouse (ºC) Average daily temperature levels in geographical area of slaughterhouse (ºC)
10.5-15.4ºC (n = 64) 16.3-18.4ºC (n = 55) 19.9-20.8ºC (n = 27) 16.4-19.1ºC (n = 44) 20.4-23.6ºC (n = 43) 24.9-26.1ºC (n = 30)
LSM SD LSM SD LSM SD P LSM SD LSM SD LSM SD P

L* 51..2b 2.70 52.5ba 3.00 53.0a 2.95 < 0.01 L* 51..3b 2.70 51.5ba 3.07 52.9a 2.95 < 0.05

Drip (%) 2.94b 1.06 2.94b 1.27 3.89a 1.31 < 0.01 Drip (%) 2.86 0.80 3.07 1.27 3.33 1.43 NS

Day of transport

# Daily minimum (9.4-11.9;12.5-14.1;15.6-18.4) and

average (16.4-19.1;20.4-23.6;24.9-26.1) temperature (ºC)
and RH (%) (09h00) (27-50;65-77;86-98) levels in Day of slaughter
geographical areas of farm of origin and slaughterhouse
# Daily average temperature (ºC)
Day of transport (15.7-20.0;21.0-23.5;26.3-29.9)
and RH (%) (09h00) (25-54;58-73;76-97)
# Daily minimum farm area+slaughterhouse area/2 # Lairage RH (%) immediately pre-slaughter
temperatures (ºC) (11.4-12.2;14.4-16.2;16.8-19.6)
(53-73;81-87;91-97)
# Daily average farm area+slaughterhouse area/2
temperatures (ºC) (15.5-19.2;20.1-22.0;25.5-27.9)
# Daily farm area+slaughterhouse area RHs (%) (09h00)/2
(32-41;63-80;85-98)

Day of slaughter Day of slaughter

Minimum daily temperature levels in the geogaphical area of slaughterhouse (ºC) Temperature levels in lairage immediately before slaughterhouse (ºC)
9.9-14.2ºC (n = 52) 15.0-16.4ºC (n = 46) 17.2-20.5ºC (n = 48) 16.9-20.5ºC (n = 36) 20.9-22.3ºC (n = 34) 23.2-25.9ºC (n = 46)
LSM SD LSM SD LSM SD P LSM SD LSM SD LSM SD P

L* 52.0 2.98 52.4 2.79 51.7 3.07 NS L* 52.8a 2.79 51.1b 2.85 51.1ba 2.97 0.05

Drip (%) 3.35a 1.03 3.29b 1.50 2.70b 1.07 < 0.05 Drip (%) 3.61a 1.05 2.84b 1.12 2.64b 1.11 < 0.05

Methods Under a.m. and p.m. commercial conditions, all measurements where made on Ld, between the first and the fifth lumbar vertebrae, from June 12th to October 16th, on a group of 146 animals (female:male: sex ratio
1.03), with carcass weights between 51-105 kg,. They were submitted to: journeys between 40-120 min; a transport density between 0.41-0.56 m2.100 kg carcass weight –1; showered or sprayed empirically in lairage: submitted to
electrical stunning (190 V, 1.5 A); after a ca. 24 h lairage period. The measurement of meat quality parameters was carried out as follows: 1. Minolta CIE L*, ca. 30 h p.m.: measured, after 1 h bloom, with a Minolta Chroma Meter
[model CR-210b (50 mm-diameter measuring area, D65, 0º viewing angle), Minolta Camera Co., Ltd. Japan], calibrated to a white tile (Minolta CR-A44), 2 measurements were made on each of two chops, submitted to pre-freezing
temperatures and cut by machine, to varying thickness and weights (minimum 1.5 cm), the day after slaughter; 2. Drip loss percentage was calculated by using the 2 previous chops, from which the Ld was separated; these samples
were weighed, placed at 2-3 ºC, for 48 h, in plastic video boxes, in which 2 plastic net layers (2 mm side) were placed over a paper towel previously put in the bottom of the box; they were reweighed every 24 hours; and as a measure
of control pH and temperature were measured at ca. 30 h post mortem [pH meter (model pH 95, WTW, Welheim, Germany) and a glass penetration electrode (model EC-FG 63511-01B, Eutech Instruments Europe, Nijkerk,
Netherlands), and penetration temperature probe for automatic temperature compensation (model TFK 150/E, WTW, Welheim, Germany)]. Environmental daily temperature (minimum and average) and daily relative humidity
percentage (RH) (at 09h00) where supplied by the Instituto de Meteorologia (National Meteorology Institute). Temperature and RH in lairage are an average of 3 measurements (every 5 minutes during ca. 15 minutes), obtained at an
height of c.a. 1.5 m, with a thermohygrograph (Testostor 175 Logger, TESTO, Lenzkirch, Germany). Statiscal methods: Scheffé test, using three temperature or RH levels.

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