THE MANAGEMENT PRE-SLAUGHTER EVALUATED FOR STRESS INDICATORS AND MEAT QUALITY/O MANEJO PRE-ABATE AVALIADO POR INDICADORES DE ESTRESSE E QUALIDADE DA CARNE/GESTION PRE-MATADERO EVALUADA POR EL ESTRES DE LA CARNE Y LOS INDICADORES DE CALIDAD

Regarding aspects related to animal welfare during pre-slaughter management, it is still necessary to develop, deepen and expand the legislation so that the animals have the necessary care and attention, in addition to meeting the demands of the consumer market. The pre-slaughter period ranges from the removal of animals from the farm to slaughter. The management during this period, have direct or indirect consequences on the body's balance, generating stress, changing carcass yields, as well as the physicalchemical and sensory characteristics of meat, which affects its process of industrialization of meat. The animals kept in the slaughter pen face an unknown environment, batch mixing, longer contact time with humans, food deprivation and reduced movement space. The hours that should be used for transport stress recovery and needed to reduce gastrointestinal content now have the opposite effect, increasing the stress level and making it chronic with irreversible effects. The relationship between glycolytic potential and pH is proven, as well as the relationship between the final pH of beef and meat quality, demonstrating the importance of post-mortem metabolism in meat quality. Biochemical reactions of the process of converting muscle to meat, when they occur naturally and with the necessary substrates, provide adequate maturation allowing the appropriate final tenderness and appreciated by the consumer. Consumption of muscle glycogen, which is one of the effects of stress, results in high pH values and the occurrence of Dry, Frim and Dark (DFD) meat, resulting in consumer rejection of the product mainly due to the darker coloration of the meat. The color of meat is the main attribute that governs the intention of purchase by the consumer. If the color is not considered acceptable, the product will not be purchased and consequently all other sensory attributes will not be observed and considered in the purchase decision. Research relating meat production, welfare and quality aims to meet market demands and expand production. However, some specific steps in the chain are often not explored due to the difficulty in controlling all the variables that may influence the results. Keywords: Acute phase proteins, glycolytic potential, DFD, cortisol, color. Ao que se refere aos aspectos relacionados ao bem-estar dos animais durante os manejos que antecedem o abate ainda e preciso desenvolver, aprofundar e ampliar a legislacao para que os animais tenham o cuidado e