Effect of Different CO2 Concentrations on the Stunning Effect of Pigs and Selected Quality Traits of Their Meat - a Short Report

The aim of the study was to analyse the effect of CO2 concentration in pharmacological stunning method of pigs on selected quality traits of meat. Investigations were carried out on 200 fatteners of mass population. Half the animals (n=100) were stunned with 92% and the other 100 fatteners were stunned with 88% CO2. The stunning effectiveness was evaluated by observing animals' response to CO2 concentration. In the group of the fatteners stunned with 92% CO2, all animals were stunned correctly, whereas in the group of the fatteners stunned with a lower concentration of CO2 (88%), the percentage of ineffectively stunned animals reached 17%. A statistically significant (p<0.01) influence of carbon dioxide concentration in the pharmacological stunning method was noticed on pH24, lightness of meat - L* (p≤0.05) and b* value. A higher frequency of carcasses with PSE and DFD was observed among the fatteners stunned with 92% CO2 (respectively 16% and 7% vs. 9% and 1% reported for animals stunned with 88% CO2).