Occurrence of blood splash and blood remaining in pork carcass at meat markets in Japan

Abstract

In order to investigate the occurrence and primary factors of blood splash and blood remaining in pork carcass, questionnaires were used to assess the equipments and slaughter treatments in the principal flesh processing facilities in Japan. Blood splash and blood remaining have been issues in many facilities (37 of 57). Correlation coefficient was r=0.40 (P<0.05) between occurrence of blood remaining and blood splash. On blood splash, the odds ratios were as follows ; 0.31 for manual equipment stunning compared with automatic, 0.42 for both of vena cava and aortic compared with aorta cutting, 0.20 for weak kicking and convulsion compared with strong and 2.54 in the left lateral decubitus position compared with the right lateral position. On the other hand, concerning blood remaining, the odds ratios were as follows ; 0.36 for long cutting size at sticking compared with medium, 2.75 for short sticking size compared with medium, 0.24 for both of vena cava and aorta compared with aorta at the blood vessel cutting, 0.16 in the left lateral decubitus position in the direction of pig carcass compared with the right position. These results show the possibility that blood splash and blood remaining were affected by slaughter methods like carcass direction and blood vessel cutting.