Aturdimiento eléctrico y calidad de carne del pollo beneficiado en un centro de faenamiento

The research aims to determine the effects of electric stunning on the quality of chicken meat processed at a slaughterhouse. A quasi-experimental study was conducted, along with the use of a document review form to verify the company's income and expenses, and a direct observation form that allowed for the identification of chickens being slaughtered using traditional methods (without stunning). It was determined that out of a daily batch of 350 chickens (1050 kg), 25 kg (2%) of meat is not available for sale, 55 chickens (16%) have broken bones, and 80 chickens (23%) have bruises, resulting in a meat quality indicator of 86.34%. Additionally, it was identified that there is poor layout planning in the facility, causing workers to cross paths and resulting in delays. To address these issues, electric stunning was applied to 60 chickens, projecting a decrease of 3.7 kg (0.88%), 2 chickens (1.12%), and 3 chickens (2.45%) for each respective indicator, using a moderate electric stunning level of (15 V, 700 Hz, 10 s). This increased the meat quality to 98.52%. With a new facility layout and employee training, it can be concluded that implementing electric stunning in chicken processing improves meat quality and indirectly contributes to increased profits and reduced economic losses.