Abstract:
Carcass condemnation is a problem in the South African beef industry, but the causes and risk factors
have not been studied or quantified. Better understanding of the cumulative incidence and causative
predictors of carcass condemnations could assist in improving cattle management during transportation, preslaughter
and lairage in high-throughput abattoirs. This study was conducted to investigate the main causes
and predisposing factors of carcass condemnation at a large high-throughput cattle abattoir during postmortem
inspections from January to December 2010. The experimental design included the effects of
season, breed type, and sex, and their interactions on the cumulative incidence of carcass condemnations,
and the causes of partial and whole carcass condemnations and the impact on carcass yield. The model was
based on the presence of defects. Thirteen diseases and defects were evaluated in various breeds, sexes
and seasons. The cumulative incidence of partial and complete carcass condemnations was 9.5%.The most
important causes were peritonitis and pleuritis, soiling and bruising, Almost half of these carcass
condemnations were due to soiling and bruising, which can be addressed by implementing better abattoir
management during transportation, pre-slaughter and lairage. The cumulative incidence of parafilaria
occurred mostly in spring and summer. Measles, intramuscular haemorrhage and wet carcass syndrome
occurred mostly in winter. The cumulative incidence of the other defects had a negligible effect. Numerically
the greatest carcass weight losses subsequent to partial condemnations were because of intramuscular
haemorrhage and bruising.
