Effects of transport time and location within truck on skin bruises and meat quality of market weight pigs in two seasons

Scheeren, M. B., Gonyou, H. W., Brown, J., Weschenfelder, A. V. and Faucitano, L. 2014. Effects of transport time and location within truck on skin bruises and meat quality of market weight pigs in two seasons. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 94: 71–78. The effects of season (winter vs. summer), transport time (T: 6, 12 and 18 h) and truck compartment (C) on skin bruise score and meat quality were evaluated in 384 pigs distributed across the top front (C1), top back (C4), middle front (C5) and bottom rear (C10) compartments. Bruise score was higher (P=0.01) in winter than in summer. A T×C interaction was found for pH u value in the longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle and for drip loss in the LT and semimembranosus (SM) muscles, with higher (P<0.001) pH u being recorded in the LT muscle and lower drip loss in the LT and SM muscles (P<0.001 and P=0.01, respectively) of pigs located in C10 following 18 h of transport. In summer, higher (P=0.03) pH u values were found in the LT muscle of pigs transported in C4 and lower drip loss in the LT and SM muscles (P=0.04 and P=0.03, respectively) of pigs located in C10. The results of this study suggest that, while skin bruises are only affected by season, the effects of longer transport time and winter temperatures on meat quality can be aggravated by the compartment location.