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LOSSES IN CONVERTING BEEF ANIMALS TO FRESH MEAT PRODUCTS
Author(s) -
PEARSON A. M.,
LEITE EILEEN M.,
MERKEL R. A.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of food processing and preservation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.511
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1745-4549
pISSN - 0145-8892
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-4549.1979.tb00584.x
Subject(s) - emaciation , slaughter house , biology , zoology , veterinary medicine , toxicology , food science , medicine
Losses in converting live beef animals to fresh beef cuts are reviewed. Pre‐ and post‐slaughter condemnations were calculated to account for the major losses amounting to over 59 million lb of carcass beef and 66 million lb of liver annually. The major causes of carcass condemnations were inflammatory diseases (pneumonia), neoplasms (cancer), septic conditions (abscesses) and degenerative conditions (emaciation), accounting for over 88% of total carcass condemnations. On the other hand, carcass condemnations from infectious diseases, parasitic diseases and from residues (drugs and pesticides) amounted to only 1.7, 0.3 and 0.1% of the total condemnations, respectively. In addition, some 4% of all carcasses lost a major part to condemnation. Other major losses included blood and shrinkage (moisture losses) during chilling and holding. All losses are discussed and procedures for minimizing them are suggested.