Pre-slaughter handling of reindeer-effects on meat quality

The centralization of the slaughter industry has created one of the biggest problems for beef quality, namely dark-cutting or DFD. After studying the various handling routines and their effects on meat quality, it was found possible, by applying simple and clearcut rules, to minimize the DFD frequency in beef. We then started to scrutinize the slaughter procedure for reindeer, as we realized that new directives in Sweden would lead to centralization of the slaughter industry. Before the new directives were introduced we obtained sufficient funding to set up a four-year research project dealing with old and new slaughter handling procedures for reindeer and their effects on meat quality. The overall objective was to devise simple and effective rules for the handling of slaughter reindeer in order to avoid meat quality deterioration. Various preslaughter handling routines for reindeer, such as gathering and herding, selection, feeding, road transport and lairage, imply stressful events which can affect glycogen stores in muscle and hence meat quality. During a 3 day helicopter drive (20 km/day), we found no negative effects on glycogen stores or ultimate pH values. Lorry transport of reindeer over various distances (0 up to 1000 km) did not cause any increase in ultimate pH values in bulls and calves, though cows did show a slight increase in pH. A 2-day pre-slaughter waiting period at a slaughterhouse, where the reindeer were fed hay and water, caused no deleterious effects on muscle glycogen content or pH. Sorting out reindeer by use of the traditional lasso technique, however, seems to be the only handling procedure so far studied causing considerable physical and mental stress leading to muscle glycogen depletion and dark-cutting. The effects of various handling procedures are very much dependent on the physical condition of the animals. From our studies we can conclude that feeding has a major influence on physical condition, muscle glycogen content and hence meat quality.