Impact of rearing systems in the Eastern Amazon on cholesterol, β-carotene and vitamin E homologues in steer

Introduction

The quality of meat, with a focus on compounds important for human health, is directly related to the rearing systems in which the animals are produced. The search for a balanced diet, with an emphasis on low cholesterol and adequate levels of vitamins, aligns with society's emphasis on healthy eating, directly correlated with the importance of the offer made by producers for the cattle's diet.

Objective and methodology

The objective was to verify the impact of different rearing systems, in the Eastern Amazon, during the rainy season, on the concentrations of vitamins (A, E) and cholesterol in the muscle (Longissimus lumborum) of crossbred Nelore cattle, castrated, aged between 24 and 36 months, and weighing between 410 and 628 kg. Twelve animals, from each of the three pasture rearing systems: native pasture in flooded areas of Monte Alegre; native pasture in a flooded area of Santa Cruz do Arari; and pasture cultivated on dry land in São Miguel do Guamá, all located in Pará, Brazil-were sampled in commercial slaughterhouses.

Results

A notable influence was observed in the concentrations of β-carotene (p < 0.01), α-Tocopherol (p = 0.02), β-Tocopherol (p < 0.01) and the combined sum of β-Tocotrienol and γ-Tocopherol (p < 0.01), as well as δ-Tocopherol (p < 0.01) when contrasting extensive with intensive systems (confinement). However, there was a difference in the content of vitamins and cholesterol between the isolated extensive systems, or between the four rearing systems (p > 0.05). Extensive systems, mainly in Monte Alegre, demonstrated greater amounts of α-Tocopherol and δ-Tocopherol.

Conclusion

On the other hand, the intensive system exhibited higher levels of other investigated compounds, clarifying the nutritional variations generated by different livestock rearing practices in the region. Therefore, the results obtained are innovative in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil, in addition to inspiring the development of new research to meet other demands in this field, and achieve additional results, such as determining which meat, coming from cattle in production systems in the country, presents the better compositional quality of vitamins and lipids.

Animal welfare at German abattoirs: insights into the occurrence of violations against laws and regulations from official veterinarians and judicial decisions

Introduction

This study investigated the occurrence of various animal welfare violations at German abattoirs by analyzing the results of an anonymous online survey and relevant German court decisions.

Methods

The survey targeted official veterinarians (OVs) and other individuals responsible for enforcing animal welfare laws and regulations at German abattoirs. Participants were asked to report the five most common animal welfare violations in their workplaces during the past 3 years (2019-2021), and whether 22 specific given violations had occurred or not (in the same timeframe). The court decisions were examined to determine how many abattoirs were penalized for a specific animal welfare violation and the details about the number and species of affected animals.

Results

Overall, the violations examined throughout this study fell into one of the following categories: (1) use of prohibited driving aids (e.g., illicit use of electric prods, or hitting/beating animals); (2) inadequate husbandry in lairage; (3) inappropriate handling of animals with special care needs; (4) improper restraint, stunning, and bleeding of animals; and (5) unqualified task execution/inadequate administrative work (e.g., documentation of a violation). The violations analyzed in the scope of this study most frequently fell into categories 1, 2, and 4. Regarding the five violations that survey participants reported to be the most common in the years 2019-2021, 42.6% of responses (N = 277 reported violations) fell into category 4, followed closely by category 1 with 37.9%. Of the 22 violations surveyed in the second part of the survey, those reported by 50.0% or more participants were concentrated in categories 1, 2, and 4. Regarding the 16 relevant court rulings spanning from 2015 to 2022, the most frequently documented instances of misconduct primarily fell into category 1.

Discussion

The collected data suggest that there may be need for improvements regarding compliance with animal welfare legislation, especially concerning categories 1, 2, and 4. The authors suggest OVs to consider these findings when conducting monitoring activities at abattoirs and in the training and education of abattoir personnel.