This study was conducted to examine the effects of a diet formulated with industrial amino acids and a commercial vitamin-mineral mixture on the characteristics of carcass and meat cuts of slow-growing broilers slaughtered at different ages. The experiment involved 600 one-day-old male and female white Naked Neck chicks. The chicks were allotted randomly to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement consisting of two diets and three slaughter ages, in a completely randomized experimental design with five replicates of 20 birds each. The experimental period was 84 days. Six chicks were selected and slaughtered on the first day, and then at 56, 70 and 84 days of age 10 birds unit was selected and slaughtered per experimental period. Weight and yield of carcass, abdominal fat and breast, thigh and drumstick meat were determined. Additionally, moisture, protein, fat and mineral matter contents and protein and fat deposition in the breast, drumstick and thigh muscles were determined. The diet did not influence the yields of carcass, abdominal fat, or meat cuts or the nutritional composition of meat. Slaughter age influenced the yields of breast and thigh meat and abdominal fat; the protein content of breast meat; and the moisture, crude protein, fat, and mineral matter contents of drumstick and thigh meat. There was an interaction effect between diet and slaughter age for protein deposition in breast meat. The age factor influenced fat deposition in the drumstick muscles. Protein deposition in the thigh muscles was influenced by the diet. Moreover, a difference was observed between the ages for protein and fat deposition in the thigh muscle. In conclusion, the use of a commercial mixture in the diet results in decreased protein deposition in the breast and thigh muscles, although this difference does not affect the characteristics of carcass or meat cuts. Birds slaughtered at 70 days exhibit similar carcass characteristics to those of birds slaughtered at 84 days, indicating the possibility of an earlier slaughter age.
Na ultima decada, a origem da carne bovina comecou a ser questionada e, por conseguinte, passou a ser valorizada por consumidores esclarecidos. Essa valorizacao tende a aumentar nos proximos anos, seja para garantir aspectos sanitarios, nutritivos, sensoriais e ate mesmo de indicacao geografica ou terroir. O presente projeto tem como objetivo desenvolver biomarcadores para caracterizacao fenotipica da carne.
A cisticercose bovina e a zoonose parasitaria mais recorrente em Matadouros-Frigorificos, sendo a causa preponderante para importantes perdas economicas decorrentes da condenacao de visceras e carcacas durante o abate. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a ocorrencia de cisticercose e o destino de carcacas, orgaos e visceras dos bovinos que, na inspecao post-mortem , apresentaram lesoes patognomonicas em um Matadouro-Frigorifico, sob inspecao oficial, no Estado de Sao Paulo no periodo de janeiro de 2001 a junho de 2002. Todos os dados foram obtidos dos arquivos do Servico de Inspecao Oficial do estabelecimento. Foram diagnosticados a partir desses dados, que no ano de 2001 a prevalencia de cisticercose foi de 4,1%; sendo que o percentual de carcacas com cisticercose liberadas para consumo in natura foi de 2,54%; para o congelamento, de 1,56% e, aquelas destinadas a esterilizacao, 0,005%. De janeiro a junho de 2002, a prevalencia media de cisticercose foi de 3,54%; ja em relacao ao percentual de carcacas com cisticercose liberadas para consumo in natura foi 2,09%, congeladas 1,43%; esterilizadas pelo calor 0,01% e condenadas 0,02%. Dessa forma as altas taxas de cisticercose bovina encontradas, podem estar relacionadas com a proximidade dos animais aos grandes centros urbanos, o que ressalta a importância da inspecao sanitaria como medida de controle de varias doencas transmitidas pelo alimento, entre elas a cadeia do complexo teniase/cisticercose.