Effect of withdrawing feed from swine on meat quality and prevalence of Salmonella colonization at slaughter.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether withholding feed from pigs prior to slaughter had any effects on meat quality, percentage of pigs with Salmonella spp in cecal contents during slaughter, or percentage of pigs with lacerations of the gastrointestinal tract during slaughter.


METHODS
Split-plot design.


METHODS
873 pigs.


METHODS
At the finishing barn, pigs were assigned to 30 pens. Feed withdrawal times were assigned to pens at random, and pigs in each pen were marketed in 3 groups. The first marketing group consisted of the 10 heaviest pigs in each pen, the second consisted of the next 10 heaviest pigs, and the third consisted of all remaining pigs.


RESULTS
Withdrawing feed improved the redness score assigned to the meat but did not have any other significant effects on carcass composition or meat quality. The percentage of pigs with Salmonella spp in the cecal contents decreased from the first (73%) to the second (64%) to the third (52%) marketing group. However, isolation of Salmonella spp from cecal contents was not associated with feed withdrawal time or with pen prevalence of Salmonella shedding during the 2 months prior to slaughter. Feed withdrawal time and marketing group did not have any significant effects on overall prevalence of gastrointestinal tract lacerations.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that withdrawal of feed from pigs prior to slaughter does not increase the prevalence of Salmonella colonization or the risk of carcass contamination associated with gastrointestinal tract lacerations during slaughter but only slightly enhances meat quality.
Morrow
W E Morgan
WE
Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7621, USA.
See
M Todd
MT
Eisemann
Joan H
JH
Davies
Peter R
PR
Zering
Kelly
K
D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition; D002432:Cecum / Q000382:microbiology; D003116:Color; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology / Q000592:standards*; D015995:Prevalence; D011897:Random Allocation; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control