Sistema de aspersão de água gelada no processo inicial de resfriamento de meias-carcaças suínas

Abstract

The cooling of carcasses is one of the aspects of great importance in the quality of pork meat and its adequate process contributes to reduce weight loss by exudation, in addition to controlling microbial growth and reducing the effects of biochemical reactions suffered during the transformation of muscle into meat. In this way, the research was carried out with the objective of evaluating the effects of the use of an ice water sprinkler system during the initial cooling process of swine carcasses, on microbiological and qualitative parameters of the meat. A total of 220 pigs of the same origin and commercial strain Dan Bred (DB) x Agroceres Pic, aged approximately 180 days and average body weight of 125 kg, were slaughtered in a commercial slaughterhouse. After slaughter, the carcasses were distributed in a completely randomized design in two treatments: (1) without water spray; (2) with water sprinkling during cooling. The total spray time was 26 minutes, during the total cycle of four hours. The speed of reduction of surface and internal temperature of the carcass, initial pH (pH45) and final and microbiological analyzes of the surface of the carcasses were evaluated. The sprinkler system promoted a higher speed of reduction of the superficial and internal temperature of the carcasses. Sprayed carcasses did not show changes in initial pH, however, the final pH and FC of the meat were slightly higher, in addition to lower luminosity (L*), red (a*) and yellow (b*) content of the meat. The spray did not influence the microbiological aspects of the carcasses as well as the PLG and PLC of the meat. The use of cold water spray in the initial process of cooling swine carcasses accelerated the reduction of temperature, reducing the chances of pale, flaccid and exudative meat (PSE), improved the water retention capacity of the meat and did not present itself as a risk for the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms.