Religious slaughtering: Implications on pH and temperature of bovine carcasses.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of different types of slaughtering on the variations of pH and temperature. Ninety entire male beef cattle, belonging to the Charolais breed, were distributed in three groups based on method of slaughtering. A total of 30 subjects (group K) were slaughtered without stunning, according to the Koscher rite; thirty bovines (group T) were stunned with a captive bolt gun, following the common slaughtering reported by Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009; other thirty animals (group H) were slaughtered without stunning, based on Halal procedures.

Visual Image Analysis for a new classification method of bovine carcasses according to EU legislation criteria.

In the European Community, conformation and fat cover of bovine carcasses is assessed using the SEUROP grading system. In this study we pursued the development of an application software (App) based on Visual Image Analysis, useful for SEUROP and Fat Cover grading of bovine carcasses using a smartphone. The App was trained using 500 bovine carcasses.

Occurrence and characterization of spp. from ready-to-eat vegetables produced in Southern Italy.

Given that the number of foodborne illness outbreaks linked to the consumption of ready-to-eat vegetables has been widely documented and considering that data on the occurrence of spp. in such foodstuffs are lacking, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of spp. and the occurrence of virulence factors as well as to genotype spp.

Raw donkey milk versus raw cow's milk. A preliminary study to compare the growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus.

Gram-positive foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus can grow in a wide variety of foods, including raw milk. The aim of the study was to compare the growth of L. monocytogenes and S.

Classification of bovine carcasses: New biometric remote sensing tools.

Slaughtering plants approved by the European Union have specific processes to guarantee that beef carcasses or halfcarcasses, of no less than eight months of age, are provided with health mark and then classified and identified according to the EU carcass classification grid. This classification is based on three criteria: i) Category, ii) Conformation (SEUROP) and iii) Fat Cover (FC). At the end of the classification process each carcass is given a code, consisting of two letters and a number: this operation is called .

Pilot Study of the Relationship between Deck Level and Journey Duration on Plasma Cortisol, Epinephrine and Norepinephrine Levels in Italian Heavy Pigs.

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the relationship between journey duration, deck level and activation patterns of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA) and sympathetic adrenal medullary system (SAM) in pigs. A total of 90 pigs were examined. The animals came from three different Italian farms associated with the same slaughterhouse located in Bari (Apulia region-Italy).

Evaluation of the Occurrence of False Aneurysms During Halal Slaughtering and Consequences on the Animal's State of Consciousness.

This study evaluated the occurrence of false aneurysms and reflexes in bovines, associated with the point along the neck where the cut was performed. The survey was carried out on a total of 1200 male beef cattle, belonging mainly to the Charolais and Limousin breeds, aged between twelve and twenty-four months. In the slaughterhouse, three operators, identified by convention as Operator C4, Operator C2, and Operator C1, performed the Halal slaughtering.

Rare Generalized Form of Fungal Dermatitis in a Horse: Case Report.

A rare case of spp. dermatitis in a horse is presented. After unrelated, previous surgery and antibiotic treatment, a saddle horse showed well-circumscribed areas of non-pruritic alopecia.

Evaluation of the animal welfare during religious slaughtering.

Plasma cortisol and its metabolites are physiological indicators for stress assessment and slaughtering method may affect their levels, playing an important role in the correct acidification of meat. The aim of the study was to determine and compare plasma cortisol values in animals slaughtered using traditional procedures, which include stunning (using captive bolt pistol), with those in animals slaughtered using Halal method, which does not involve stunning. The study was carried out on a total of 60 Charolais male beef cattle of eight months of age, bred in free paddock outdoors.

Protection of Animals during Transport: Analysis of the Infringements Reported from 2009 to 2013 during On-Road Inspections in Italy.

Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 requires that vehicles that are transporting animals be subjected to checks conducted by competent authorities. Yearly, each member state sends a report to the European government on the infringements that have been discovered during on-road inspections. The reports that were published by the Italian Ministry of Public Health from 2009 to 2013 were analyzed.

Pseudomonas azotoformans Belonging to Pseudomonas fluorescens Group as Causative Agent of Blue Coloration in Carcasses of Slaughterhouse Rabbits.

The study describes the finding of an abnormal blue-tinged color found on rabbit carcasses in the refrigeration cell of two butcher shops in Apulia Region. The carcasses were from an industrial rabbitry for production of meat with a regularly authorized slaughterhouse. a microorganism included in group, was isolated from samples collected by the altered carcasses, showing the growth of uniform bacterial colonies with fluorescent pigmentation.

Consumer attitudes towards animal welfare and their willingness to pay.

The interest of European consumers towards animal welfare can be influenced by several variables, both related to the consumers themselves and to the different countries of the EU. In order to assess animal welfare at farm level, it is essential to develop animal-based measures in accordance with the animals' actual welfare state in terms of their behaviour, health and physiology. The search for valid and reliable indicators is a key objective of several research programs especially for assessing welfare at farm level and the tools may include surveys addressed to farmers.

Simultaneous Quantitative Detection of Six Families of Antibiotics in Honey Using A Biochip Multi-Array Technology.

Chemical residues of veterinary drugs such as streptomycin, chloramphenicol, macrolides, sulphonamides, tetracyclines, quinolones and aminoglycosides and other contaminants such as pesticides and heavy metals have been found in honey, leading to concerns for human health. Indeed, there is a growing interest in their presence and persistence in the environment because low levels of antibiotics may favour the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Moreover, antibiotics present in honey may produce residues in foodstuffs, causing adverse effects on humans such as allergic reactions, toxic effects and damage to the central nervous systems.

Presence of cadmium residues in muscle, liver and kidney of and histological evidence.

Cadmium (Cd) concentrations were evaluated in the samples of kidney, liver and muscle of sixty-six buffaloes regularly slaughtered. Forty were raised in Campania, in the territory between the province of Naples and Caserta and twenty-six were bred in Apulia, in the province of Bari. Two aliquots were prepared for the renal and hepatic samples: one intended for the chemical analysis and the other one intended for histological investigations.

Analysis of Stress Indicators for Evaluation of Animal Welfare and Meat Quality in Traditional and Jewish Slaughtering.

Sixty Charolais male beef cattle of eight months of age were divided into two groups according to the slaughtering method, i.e., traditional or Kosher (religious Jewish rite).

Determination of plasmatic cortisol for evaluation of animal welfare during slaughter.

The plasmatic cortisol levels of 60 eight-month-old calves ( breed) were measured as stress indicators resulting from two types of slaughter: traditional and religious rite. The plasmatic cortisol levels were evaluated during three different stages of their productive life: during growth, after transport and during slaughter. The thirty calves slaughtered after stunning showed plasmatic cortisol values of 4.