ABSTRACT
The way animals antemortem is handled has been highlighted in recent years for two reasons. First, in an increasingly competitive market and with the emphasis on quality of the final product, the economic losses caused by poor handling are becoming more widely realized. Second, consumers in many countries have become more aware of the ethics of meat production. They want their meat produced in ways that take account of animal welfare. Indeed, welfare-friendly products may command a premium price. Antemortem handling is seen as just as much a part of this concern for the animal’s welfare as are the husbandry practices followed during rearing. The main attributes of meat quality that are affected by marketing procedures are the color, water-holding capacity, and palatability of the lean meat. Ruminants seem to be generally more resilient than pigs. There is nevertheless evidence that antemortem stress is detrimental to beef palatability, although the effects vary in size and the causal mechanisms are unclear.
