Economic losses due to hematoma in bovine carcasses from the north central mesoregion of Paraná

Abstract

Food security is important, and is being increasingly focused on during animal production. In bovine carcasses, we can find hematomas that are the consequences of traumas caused by several factors. These cause the extravasation of blood from vessels, causing the blood to accumulate in muscular tissues, which can then serve as a substrate for bacterial proliferation. The objective of this study was to quantify the occurrence of hematomas in bovine carcasses and to determine their degree of severity,  to measure the economic impact these hematomas can cause. The slaughter of 385 animals was monitored, and 56.88% showed some type of hematoma. In injured animals, there were a total of 427 lesions, with an average of 1.94 of injuries per animal. There was a total loss of 65.7 kg of meat, with following proportional distribution: 12.32% in the front room (8.1 kg), 33.18% near the ribs and the lumbar region (21.8 kg), and 54.49% (35.8 kg) in the hindquarter. The resulting economic loss was calculated to be a total of US $ 206.66 (R $ 817.93). We conclude that the occurrence of hematoma lesions in bovine carcasses from the north central mesoregion of Paraná is responsible for economic losses.