Environmental variables, as sound levels, were collected during the pre-slaughter process in 18 different Belgian
commercial slaughterhouses. Four pre-slaughter phases were determined: firstly after arrival of the truck at the
slaughterhouse and just before unloading, secondly during unloading, thirdly at lairage and finally while moving
to the stunner. A total of 8508 pigs was examined during the pre-slaughter process, of which the pHLT
(M. longissimus thoracis), at 30 min post-mortem was measured. For each pre-slaughter phase, variables which
might influence pork quality were determined. Moreover, this study made it possible to infer a checklist to
represent and predict PSE traits of pork for all kind of pre-slaughter situations. The checklist shows also that
the impact on pork quality is more decisive for the variables measured close to the stunning phase. Hence, this
information is useful for the industry to optimize handling of pigs, reducing the risk for PSE traits.