Índice de ocorrência de condenação de carcaças suínas por lesão de pele em um abatedouro frigorífico localizado no Estado de Minas Gerais

Abstract

Brazil in the international scenario is a major producer and exporter of pork, being recognized as the fourth largest producer and exporter. Among the diseases that affect pigs, skin lesions are the most associated with financial losses, as they can lead to partial or total condemnation of carcasses. There are several causes of skin lesions in swine and among them are those of an infectious or non-infectious nature. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the rate of occurrence of convictions due to skin lesions in pig carcasses slaughtered in a slaughterhouse located in the state of Minas Gerais. The period evaluated was from January 2019 to December 2021, and the following information was made available by the Official Inspection Service: date of slaughter, number of animals slaughtered and the number of condemnation of carcasses due to skin injury. With these data it was possible to calculate the Occurrence of Convictions Index (IOC) and the Adjusted Seasonal Index (ISA). During the period evaluated, a total of 246,635.00 pigs were slaughtered, of which 3,048.00 had their carcasses totally or partially condemned. The IOC showed an increase from April 2020, reaching the highest value of the index in December 2020 with 50.75 convictions for every 1,000 pigs slaughtered. In the first two months of 2021, a sharp drop in the IOC was observed, followed by an increase during the first half of 2021 and a decrease from July of the same year. In the analysis of the ISA, no difference was identified between the months, however, February had an average conviction (0.41) lower than the expected annual average (P<0.05). Thus, it is concluded that skin lesions are recurrent problems in the refrigerator and with similar frequency between months. In addition, the reduction in convictions for skin lesions in February may support training protocols for the inspection team that prioritize other diseases that occur more frequently this month.