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Slaughter Conditions and Slaughtering of Pregnant Cows in Southeast Nigeria: Implications to Meat Quality, Food Safety and Security

2021Journal article Open access
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dc.contributor.authorNjoga, Ugochinyere J.
dc.contributor.authorNjoga, Emmanuel O.
dc.contributor.authorNwobi, Obichukwu C.
dc.contributor.authorAbonyi, Festus O.
dc.contributor.authorEdeh, Henry O.
dc.contributor.authorAjibo, Festus E.
dc.contributor.authorAzor, Nichodemus
dc.contributor.authorBello, Abubakar
dc.contributor.authorUpadhyay, Anjani K.
dc.contributor.authorOkpala, Charles Odilichukwu R.
dc.contributor.authorKorzeniowska, Małgorzata
dc.contributor.authorGuiné, Raquel P. F.
dc.date.accessioned2021-06-11T10:07:33Z
dc.date.available2021-06-11T10:07:33Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractThe increase in the slaughter of pregnant cows (SPCs) for meat (except as may be approved by veterinarians on health grounds to salvage the animal) is unethical. SPCs for meat is also counterproductive, detrimental to food security, and may enhance zoonotic disease transmission. In this context, therefore, this current study examined slaughter conditions and the slaughtering of pregnant cows, and the implications for meat quality, food safety, and food security in Southeast Nigeria. The direct observational method was employed to examine the slaughterhouse activities, from when the cattle arrived at the lairage to the post-slaughter stage. A pre-tested and validated closed-ended-questionnaire was used to elicit information on causes of the SPCs and the method of disposal of eviscerated foetuses. Pregnancy status of cows slaughtered was determined by palpation followed by visual examination of the eviscerated and longitudinal incised uteri. The study lasted for six months during which 851 cows out of 1931 slaughtered cattle were surveyed. Assessment/decision-making protocol of slaughterhouse conditions, welfare conditions of slaughter- cattle, reasons for sale or slaughter of pregnant cows, distribution of pregnant cows slaughtered, method of disposal of eviscerated foetuses, and estimated economic losses of SPCs were delineated. Of the 851 cows examined, 17.4% (148/851) were pregnant while 43.2% (64/148) of the total foetuses recovered were in their third trimester. Major reasons adduced for SPCs by proportion of involved respondents were: ignorance of the animals’ pregnancy status (69.7%, 83/119), high demand for beef (61.3%, 73/119), preference for large-sized cattle (47.9%, 57/119), economic hardship (52.1%, 62/119) and diseases conditions (42.9%. 51/119). The conduct of SPCs for meat would not be profitable. This is because within six months, an estimated loss of about 44,000 kg of beef, equivalent to ₦ 70.1 million or $186,400 would be associated with SPCs and the consequential foetal wastages. If losses were to be replicated nationwide across slaughterhouses, 4.3 tons of beef estimated at ₦ 8.6 billion or $23 million would be wasted. Improving slaughter conditions and the welfare of slaughter-cattle in Nigerian slaughterhouses through advocacy, training of slaughterhouse workers, and strict implementation of laws promoting humane slaughter practices is imperative. Preventing SPCs for meat and inhumane slaughter practices at the slaughterhouse would enhance the welfare needs of slaughter cattle, grow the national herd size, and improve meat safety as well as food security.pt_PT
dc.description.versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionpt_PT
dc.identifier.citationNjoga UJ, Njoga EO, Nwobi OC, Abonyi FO, Edeh HO, Ajibo FE, Azor N, Bello A, Upadhyay AK, Okpala COR, Korzeniowska M, Guiné RPF. (2021) Slaughter Conditions and Slaughtering of Pregnant Cows in Southeast Nigeria: Implications to Meat Quality, Food Safety and Security. Foods, 10(6), 1298: 1-19.pt_PT
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/foods10061298pt_PT
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.19/6765
dc.language.isoengpt_PT
dc.peerreviewedyespt_PT
dc.subjectAnimal welfarept_PT
dc.subjectBovine foetal wastagept_PT
dc.subjectFood safety and securitypt_PT
dc.subjectMeat qualitypt_PT
dc.subjectNational herd sizept_PT
dc.subjectSlaughter of pregnant cowspt_PT
dc.titleSlaughter Conditions and Slaughtering of Pregnant Cows in Southeast Nigeria: Implications to Meat Quality, Food Safety and Securitypt_PT
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.issue6pt_PT
oaire.citation.startPage1298pt_PT
oaire.citation.titleFoodspt_PT
oaire.citation.volume10pt_PT
person.familyNamede Pinho Ferreira Guiné
person.givenNameRaquel
person.identifierhttps://scholar.google.pt/citations?user=abFDovIAAAAJ&hl=pt-PT
person.identifier.ciencia-id8B13-5492-0F23
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-0595-6805
person.identifier.scopus-author-id6603138390
rcaap.rightsopenAccesspt_PT
rcaap.typearticlept_PT
relation.isAuthorOfPublication59580952-77cc-4e4e-ae90-527a8b994f9f
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery59580952-77cc-4e4e-ae90-527a8b994f9f

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