Beef carcass quality, yield and causes of condemnations in Ethiopia

Abstract

Beef carcass quality, yield and causes of condemnations in Ethiopia were investigated in this study. Data was collected from Abergelle, Adama, Elfora Bishoftu, Elfora Kombolcha, Elfora Melgawendo, Hawassa, and Mekelle local and export abattoirs which include a total of 88,299 cattle. The study indicated that management practices at the abattoirs contribute to the poor quality of carcasses. The average carcass weight at the local abattoirs was 135.90 + 0.69 kg. Carcass weight was significantly (p<0.001) different between abattoirs, season, conformation grades, fat grades and categories of cattle. Superior conformation and fat grades were lower for cows and castrated bulls compared to other categories of cattle. The average live weight, carcass weight and dressing percentage at the export abattoirs were 241.41 + 0.37 kg, 106.93 + 0.21 kg and 44.21 + 0.05 %, respectively. Live weight, carcass weight and dressing percentage were significantly (p<0.001) differ between abattoirs, season and breeds. Average meat yield and yield percentage were 61.56 + 0.94 kg and 67.81 + 0.33%, respectively. Meat yield and weight of primal meat cuts were significantly (p<0.001) different between breeds of cattle. Only 31.13% of total carcasses sampled had an acceptable ultimate pH of 5.4-5.7. 170 whole carcasses, 52,437 partial carcasses and a number of organs were condemned out of a total of 62,917 cattle slaughtered. The main causes of condemnations of carcasses and organs were poor bleeding, bruising, contamination, abscess, hydatid cyst, pneumonia, nephritis, pericarditis and cysticercus bovis. The financial loss due to condemnation of carcasses and organs at one of the abattoirs was about 771,666.9 ETB (38,953.40 USD). From this study it was concluded that main factors that affected carcass quality of cattle in Ethiopia were poor management practices at the abattoirs, very low level of carcass fat, low proportion of carcass with desired pH for acceptable conversion of muscle to meat and higher level of condemnations of carcasses and organs. It is therefore recommended that developing law governing abattoirs operation, implementing good management program at abattoirs, proper feeding of cattle before slaughter and proper handling of cattle during transport will improve the quality of carcasses in Ethiopia.