Researches on animal welfare and meat quality in a poultry processing plant

The present research activity has been carried out in a major commercial poultry slaughter plant. A first aim of the work was to obtain improved animal welfare conditions through the optimization of the stunning procedure. Studies and experimental tests were carried out in order to find an optimal setting of electrical parameters to maximize the number of unconscious birds. The influence of the electrical stunning process in both carcass and meat quality was another object of the present thesis. In particular, the effect of different combinations of electrical stunning parameters (i.e. frequency and current levels) on the occurrence of haemorrhagic lesions has been investigated. The slaughter plant was also used as an epidemiological lab to investigate on the incidence and nature of myopathies, degenerations and other abnormalities that frequently affect carcasses and meat of broiler chickens.