[page 78] [Italian Journal of Food Safety 2015; 4:4580] Hygiene and welfare evaluationof pigs slaughtered in agritourisms

The slaughtering procedures at agritourism farms must be carried out in accordance with the general and hygiene requirements of Regulations (EC) No 852 and 853/2004. In addition, regional laws define minimum requi-rements allowing some flexibility. Piglets and finishing pigs are the most frequently slau-ghtered animal in Sardinian agritourism farms. The aim of the present survey was to evaluate: the general and hygiene require-ments of outbuilding slaughterhouses in agri-tourisms; the animal welfare indicators; the microbial contamination of piglets and fini-shing pigs carcasses. Six agritourisms outbuil-ding slaughterhouses – EU-approved – were investigated. General and hygiene require-ments of outbuilding slaughterhouses and ani-mal welfare indicators of 68 piglets and 5 fini-shing pigs were evaluated by mean of a chec-klist. The following parameters were determi-ned on 45 piglets and 5 finishing pigs carcas-ses: i) pH 1 and 24 h after slaughter, and ii) carcass surface microbial contamination by non destructive method (sponge) on the follo-wing sampling sites: ham; back (adults); belly; jowl (adults). Aerobic colony count (ACC; IS