article · PubMed
A ten-year study analysed post-mortem meat inspection data from cattle, sheep, and goats slaughtered at the Béjaïa abattoir in Algeria to identify major causes of organ and carcass condemnations and estimate economic losses. Out of 140,024 animals inspected, 24.1% of organs and 0.3% of carcasses were condemned. Cattle had the highest condemnation rates (32.4%), followed by sheep (24.7%) and goats (19.2%). Lungs were the most frequently condemned organs across all species, primarily due to bovine tuberculosis in cattle and various other causes in sheep and goats. Liver abscesses were a significant cause of liver condemnation in all three species. Total economic losses over the decade amounted to over USD 620,000.
This research highlights significant public health and economic challenges within the livestock sector. Understanding the causes of organ and carcass condemnations is crucial for improving food safety, reducing financial losses for producers, and optimising resource use in meat production.
The abstract indicates a need for strengthening preventive animal health measures, improving livestock management practices, and reinforcing meat inspection systems. This suggests opportunities for developing and implementing improved veterinary health programmes, farm management tools, and enhanced inspection technologies. These are systemic improvements rather than specific products, and the research provides evidence for their necessity.
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This ten-year retrospective study (2012-2021) aimed to investigate the major causes of organ and carcass condemnations identified during post-mortem meat inspection of cattle, sheep, and goats slaughtered at the municipal abattoir of Béjaïa, Algeria, and to estimate the associated economic losses. A total of 140,024 animals were inspected, including 31,723 cattle, 48,700 sheep, and 59,601 goats. Overall, 33,362 organs (24.1%) were condemned, and 399 carcasses (0.3%) were partially or wholly condemned. The highest rate of organ and carcass condemnation was recorded in cattle (32.4%), followed by sheep (24.7%) and goats (19.2%) (P < 0.001). Across all three species, the lungs were the most frequently condemned organs (n = 25,272; 75.7%), followed by the liver (n = 2,899; 8.7%) and heart (n = 2,432; 7.3%) (P < 0.001). In cattle, bovine tuberculosis was the leading cause of organ and carcass condemnation. Liver abscesses represented the main cause of liver condemnation in cattle, sheep, and goats, accounting for 462 of 1,537, 400 of 730, and 389 of 632 condemned livers, respectively. In contrast, pericarditis was the most common cause of heart condemnation in sheep and goats. Over the study period, the estimated direct economic losses attributable to organ and carcass condemnations amounted to USD 518,396.6 in cattle, USD 56,297.5 in sheep, and USD 46,395.8 in goats. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening preventive animal health measures, improving livestock management practices, and reinforcing meat inspection systems to safeguard public health while minimising economic losses across the livestock production chain.
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DOI: 10.12834/vetit.4035.41532.2
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