Cortisol Hormone Concentration and Meat Quality of Beef Cattle Stunned by Captive Bolt Stun Gun before Slaughtering

This study �as aimed to describe cortisol hormone concentration and meat �uality �hich �ere produced in beef cattle stunned with captive bolt stun gun before slaughtering. Blood and meat sam-ples were taken from Brahman cross steers �n� � ��� � in two abattoirs located in �est �ava and Banten. Blood samples �ere collected immediately after slaughtering. Cortisol hormone concentration in the serum �as measured by using radioimmunoassay (RIA). The descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses �ere used to interprete data. Meat �uality assessment �as based on pH, cooking loss, and complete drainage of blood. The average of cortisol hormone concentration �as 26.59 ng/mL. Meat pH at 1 h postmortem and 24 h postmortem �ere 6.65 and 6.21, respectively. Meat cooking loss �as 26.77%. Blood drainage in meat samples of each cattle showed complete drainage. There was a sig �-nificant correlation �P<0.05� � between cortisol concentrations and pH at � hour postmortem as well as cortisol concentration and cooking loss. There was no significant correlation between pH at 24 h postmortem and cooking loss. Cattle was stunned with a captive bolt stun gun before slaughtering produced meat �ith complete blood drainage but had high cortisol hormone concentration and pH ultimate