Meat condemnation in slaughtered bovine species in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Abstract

A study was conducted in three abattoirs represented by the acronym ANA, QTA and EBA, to determine the causes of meat condemnation and to ascertain monetary losses associated with such condemnation. Ante-mortem and active abattoir surveys were conducted on 229, 458 and 687 cattle from the three abattoirs respectively and abattoir slaughter records (n=51, 302) was obtained from 2010 to 2012. The abattoir records showed that the liver was the most frequently condemned (56.9%), followed by the lung (24.1%), then the heart (7.4%), kidney (6.9%), spleen (4.0%), tongue (0.4%) and carcass (0.3%). An assessment of the abattoir secondary data revealed that the major cause of condemnation of the liver at ANA, QTA and EBA was fasciolosis (5.59, 4.48, 2.68), spleen (abscess, 0.35, 0.94, 0.17) kidney (inflammation, 0.94, 1.01, 1.18), heart (inflammation, 0.9, 1.85, 0.75), tongue (abscess, 0.08, 0.03, 0.05) and lungs (emphysema, 1.12, 1.14, 1.16). Disease/conditions recorded during ante-mortem inspection of animals at the lairage were diarrhea, lameness, emaciation, blindness, orchitis, mastitis, skin conditions, and respiratory symptoms corresponding to 8, 1, 13, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 11 percent, respectively. The percentage of condemned organs was higher during the active abattoir meat inspection than in the previous records from the abattoir. Additional losses of tongue due to gunshot injury and the heart due to cysticercosis were recorded. Prevalence of fasciolosis was calculated and seasonal occurrence was determined based on monthly assortment. From the retrospective data, the prevalence of fasciolsis was 2.9 percent (n = 78728) while the annual (2011, 2012, 2013) prevalence of Fasciola infection for AB1 was (3.2, 2.2 and 2.0%), AB2 (6.4, 4.6 and 3.5%) and AB3 (14.4, 6.9 and 9.5%). Higher prevalence was obtain in summer (AB1 = 10.4%, AB2 = 12.8% and AB3 = 10.9%) and autumn (AB1 = 11.2%, AB2 = 10.8% and AB3 = 8.6%) than in winter (AB1 = 9.8%, AB2 = 6.5% and AB3 = 5.9%) and spring (AB1 = 8.2%, AB2 = 7.8% and AB3 = 5.9%). Monetary loss associated with carcass/offal condemnations in the three abattoirs from 2010 to 2012 was 630, 456 South African Rand (ZAR) or 59, 244 United States Dollars (USD), while the summation of losses due to condemnation during the 6 month active meat inspection revealed a higher loss of ZAR 111, 337.5 (10, 383.8 USD) . Monetary losses associated with carcass weight loss, whole and partial liver condemnation due to infection with Fasciola was calculated as ZAR 917, 921.5 (83, 447 USD), ZAR 31, 661.5 (2, 878 USD) and ZAR 19, 112.3 (1, 737 USD) respectively. In conclusion, organs and carcasses were condemned for several disease and non-disease factors and this led to significant financial loss.