The critical role of transportation logistics and acute cold stress in maintaining meat quality standards: a hierarchical modeling approach

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of handling (use of sticks and ramp), transport conditions (last water and feed consumption time, loading density, transport distance, driver experience, lairage period, a livestock trailer covering, climatic changes), and individual animal characteristics (age, sex, breed, body temperature, blood parameters) on meat quality parameters (cooling shrink, pH30min, pH24h). During this process, in which transport conditions were evaluated, a total of 357 cattle was transported at an environmental temperature of − 24/25°C over distances ranging from 5 to 176 km. In order to determine meat quality parameters, pH values at 30 min and 24 h post–slaughter, color measurements at 1 and 24 h, and cooling shrink were recorded. The effect of transport conditions on meat quality parameters obtained as a result of the study was analyzed using a hierarchical regression model. Cold stress is associated with cooling shrink (β = − 3.048; p < 0.01). The increasing value of pH30min is linked to decreased lairage environmental temperature (β = − 1.453; p < 0.05) and transport start zone environmental temperature (β = − 3.196; p < 0.01). It was thought that animals unable to maintain their body temperature had higher pH30min values. Decreased carcass pH24h value was associated in animals transported in covered a livestock trailer (β = − 0.125; p < 0.05). Transportation of animals for slaughter in cold climatic conditions was thought to cause stress, which negatively impacts meat quality parameters.