The objective of this work was to evaluate the bovine slaughter methods, with previous stunning through stone-hammer, pneumatic powered stunners and no stunning, carried out the kasher method on bleeding efficiency. Bleeding efficiency was evaluated through muscle haemoglobin/blood haemoglobin ratio using blood taken at bleeding and muscle samples taken before chilling. Two hundred and forty Nelore steers were slaughtered in a commercial slaughterhouse under Federal Inspection Service, where 60 animals were slaughtered by the Jewish method (kasher), 60 animals were stunned through stone-hammer, 60 animals were stunned through the pneumatic powered stunners and 60 animals were stunned through pneumatic powered stunners followed by electrical stimulation. The animals slaughtered by the kasher method showed less residual haemoglobin retained in the muscle and better bleeding efficiency. Electrical stimulation utilization after animal bleeding were stunned by the pneumatic powered stunners had a negative effect on bleeding efficiency.
slaughter; kasher; bleeding efficiency
