EFFECT OF PRESLAUGHTER ANESTHESIA ON MUSCLE METABOLISM AND MEAT QUALITY OF PIGS OF DIFFERENT HALOTHANE GENOTYPES

Pigs of different halothane genotypes were anesthetized 45 min before slaughter. During the period of anesthesia blood samples and muscle biopsy samples were taken to investigate muscle energy metabolism by measuring different metabolites. After exsanguination, the same metabolites and some meat quality characteristics were determined. Minimal differences in resting muscle metabolism seemed to exist between the halothane genotypes. Some significant differences in ante- and postmortem metabolism were found, particularly in creatine and lactate concentrations, but these were not reflected in ultimate meat quality. None of the pigs showed PSE meat and there were no differences in muscle pH and temperature at 45 min and 18 h postmortem. However, rigor, drip loss, and color still showed a significant genotype effect. It was concluded that due to the method of anesthesia there were no differences in muscle metabolism at the moment of slaughter. This may have led to a more uniform ultimate meat quality between pigs differing in their genetic susceptibility toward stress. There were differences in color and drip loss between the halothane genotypes that cannot be explained by differences in pH and carcass temperature at 45 min postmortem.