Luigi Faucitano

Image Luigi Faucitano
Research scientist

I coordinate a research program on 1) Preslaughter management of pigs and its effects on animal welfare and meat quality and 2) Validation of indicators for the reliable assessment of stress response preslaughter and prediction of meat quality variation.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Sherbrooke, Québec

Current research and/or projects

  • Application of dietary and management strategies to manipulate preslaughter muscle glycogen level and improve meat quality in pigs. Funded by AAFC Science Technology Branch.

  • Development of an assessment tool to improve production practices (from birth to slaughter), animal welfare and meat quality under the Canadian commercial conditions. Funded by AAFC Science Technology Branch.

  • Optimisation de la qualité microbiologique et de l’innocuité des produits de porc frais et transformés. Funded by the Canadian Food Innovators Cluster Program.

  • Effects of improved design trailers on the welfare of pigs transported under Canadian conditions. Funded by AAFC-Agriscience

  • Effects of producing heavier market weight pigs on their easiness of handling and space requirements during transport to slaughter. Funded by  AAFC-Agriscience.

Research and/or project statements

Livestock handling and transport are major issues for all of the agricultural animal industries in Canada at this time. The interest of the Canadian pork industry is based on the need (1) to reduce profit losses due to mortality rate during transport to slaughter and carcass trim losses and restrictions on marketing, particularly for exporting poor quality pork, and (2) to market animal welfare and high quality certified pork. These objectives can be met by developing novel, reliable and easy to use under commercial conditions animal welfare monitoring tools. These issues are the objectives of Dr. Faucitano’s current research program and meet two objectives of the AAFC Science and Innovation Strategy Plan, in terms of increasing productivity and food quality attributes.

Professional activities / interests

1) Expert member of AAFC-CFIA Animal Welfare Advisory group and of the International Cooperation Committee of Animal Welfare (ICCAW, Beijing, China)

2)  Member of the scientific committee organizing the symposium “Meat Science and Muscle Biology” at the ASAS-CSAS Joint Annual Meeting and the 2020 International Congress of Meat Science and Technology (ICoMST)

3) Associate editor of the Canadian Journal of Animal Science

4) Supervision of 10 Master and 11 PhD students, and 7 post-doc fellows and participation in the evaluation of 16 thesis dissertations.

Education and awards

B.Sc. in Science for Animal Production, University of Bologna, Italy, 1990

PhD in Animal Science, University of Bologna, Italy, 1996

Recipient of the Canadian Society of Animal Science Award in Excellence in Nutrition and Meat Science., 2015.

Recipient of the Canadian Society of Animal Science Technical Innovation in Enhancing Production of Safe Affordable Food Award, 2018.

International experience and/or work

Participation in the following international projects:

1) Study of the impact of preslaughter handling on welfare and pork quality in pigs. Funded by Embrapa (Brazil)

2) Study of the efficiency of different slaughter systems, in terms of animal welfare and beef quality. Funded by UNESP (Brazil)

3) The role of cognitive bias in animal emotions, its effect on animal welfare and meat quality and the search for potential biomarkers of ante- and peri-slaughter stress factors. Funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia y Investigacion de España (Spain)

4) Analysis of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in plasma from slaughter pigs after transport. Funded by the German Ministry for Science and Technology/Ligandis Biomarker Research (Germany) 

5) Effects of temperament of beef cattle kept in feedlot at different space allowances on growth performance, and carcass and meat quality traits. Funded by FAPESP (Brazil)

Provided more than 30 invited talks in USA, Europe, Central and South America, and Asia.

Key publications

  1. Zhang, P., Sun, D., Shi, B., Faucitano, L., Guo, X., Li, T., Xu, Y., Yan, S. (2020). Dietary supplementation with Artemisia argyi extract on inflammatory mediators and antioxidant capacity in broilers challenged with lipopolysaccharide. Italian Journal of Animal Science, [online] 19(1), 1091-1098. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1828051X.2020.1816506

    2020 - View publication details

  2. Rabhi, N., Thibodeau, A., Côté, J.-C., Devillers, N., Laplante, B., Fravalo, P., Larivière-Gauthier, G., Thériault, W.P., Faucitano, L., Beauchamp, G., Quessy, S.Association Between Tail-Biting and Intestinal Microbiota Composition in Pigs (2020) Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7, art. no. 563762. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.563762

    2020 - View publication details

  3. Daniela M Meléndez, Sonia Marti, Luigi Faucitano, Derek B Haley, Timothy D Schwinghamer ...
    Journal of Animal Science, Volume 98, Issue Supplement_4, November 2020, Pages 296–297, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaa278.535

    2020 - View publication details

  4. Faucitano, L., Conte, S., Pomar, C., Paiano, D., Duan, Y., Zhang, P., Drouin, G., Rina, S., Guay, F., Devillers, N. (2020). Application of extended feed withdrawal time preslaughter and its effects on animal welfare and carcass and meat quality of enriched-housed pigs. Meat Science, [online] 167 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2020.108163

    2020 - View publication details

  5. Rocha, L.M., Devillers, N., Maldague, X., Kabemba, F.Z., Fleuret, J., Guay, F., Faucitano, L. (2019). Validation of anatomical sites for the measurement of infrared body surface temperature variation in response to handling and transport. Animals, [online] 9(7), http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani9070425

    2019 - View publication details

  6. Braga, J.S., Faucitano, L., Macitelli, F., Sant'Anna, A.C., Méthot, S., Paranhos da Costa, M.J.R. (2018). Temperament effects on performance and adaptability of Nellore young bulls to the feedlot environment. Livestock Science, [online] 216 88-93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2018.07.009

    2018 - View publication details

  7. Pereira, T.L., Titto, E.A.L., Conte, S., Devillers, N., Sommavilla, R., Diesel, T., Dalla Costa, F.A., Guay, F., Friendship, R., Crowe, T., Faucitano, L. (2018). Application of a ventilation fan-misting bank on pigs kept in a stationary trailer before unloading: Effects on trailer microclimate, and pig behaviour and physiological response. Livestock Science, [online] 216 67-74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2018.07.013

    2018 - View publication details

  8. Vitali, M., Conte, S., Lessard, M., Deschêne, K., Benoit-Biancamano, M.O., Celeste, C., Martelli, G., Sardi, L., Guay, F., Faucitano, L. (2017). Use of the spectrophotometric color method for the determination of the age of skin lesions on the pig carcass and its relationship with gene expression and histological and histochemical parameters. Journal of Animal Science, [online] 95(9), 3873-3884. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas.2017.1813

    2017 - View publication details

  9. Sommavilla, R., Faucitano, L., Gonyou, H., Seddon, Y., Bergeron, R., Widowski, T., Crowe, T., Connor, L., Scheeren, M.B., Goumon, S., Brown, J. (2017). Season, transport duration and trailer compartment effects on blood stress indicators in pigs: Relationship to environmental, behavioral and other physiological factors, and pork quality traits. Animals, [online] 7(2), http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani7020008

    2017 - View publication details

  10. Dalla Costa, F.A., Devillers, N., Paranhos da Costa, M.J.R., Faucitano, L. (2016). Effects of applying preslaughter feed withdrawal at the abattoir on behaviour, blood parameters and meat quality in pigs. Meat Science, [online] 119 89-94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2016.03.033

    2016 - View publication details

  11. Neves, J.E.G., Paranhos da Costa, M.J.R., Roça, R.O., Faucitano, L., Gregory, N.G. (2016). A note comparing the welfare of Zebu cattle following three stunning-slaughter methods. Meat Science, [online] 117 41-43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2016.02.033

    2016 - View publication details

  12. Carreras, R., Arroyo, L., Mainau, E., Peña, R., Bassols, A., Dalmau, A., Faucitano, L., Manteca, X., Velarde, A. (2016). Effect of gender and halothane genotype on cognitive bias and its relationship with fear in pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, [online] 177 12-18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2016.01.019

    2016 - View publication details

  13. Rocha, L.M., Velarde, A., Dalmau, A., Saucier, L., Faucitano, L. (2016). Can the monitoring of animal welfare parameters predict pork meat quality variation through the supply chain (From farm to slaughter)?. Journal of Animal Science, [online] 94(1), 359-376. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas.2015-9176

    2016 - View publication details

  14. Dalla Costa, F.A., Da Costa, M.J.R.P., Faucitano, L., Dalla Costa, O.A., Lopes, L.S., Renuncio, E. (2016). Ease of handling, physiological response, skin lesions and meat quality in pigs transported in two truck types. Archivos de medicina Veterinaria, [online] 48(3), 299-304. http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0301-732X2016000300009

    2016 - View publication details

  15. dalla Costa, F.A., Faucitano, L., Paranhos da Costa, M.J.R., and Dalla Costa, O.A. (2015). "Truck suspension system: impacts on pig’s welfare, carcass and pork quality.", XXIV Congreso de la Asociación Latinoamericana de Producción Animal, Puerto Varas, Chile, November 9-13, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  16. Rocha, L.M., Zagabe, F.K., de Castro, A., Faucitano, L., and Saucier, L. (2015). "Influce of exudate composition on the spoilage of various pork quality classes.", 61st International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, Clermont-Ferrand, France, August 23-28, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  17. Dalla Costa, F.A., Devillers, N., Paranhos da Costa, M.J.R., and Faucitano, L. (2015). "Influence of preslaughter feed withdrawal time applied at the farm or at abattoir on behaviour and meat quality in pigs.", 61st International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, Clermont-Ferrand, France, August 23-28, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  18. Dalla Costa, F.A., Faucitano, L., Paranhos da Costa, M.J.R., and Dalla Costa, O.A. (2015). "Easiness of handling, physiological response, skin lesions and meat quality in pigs transported with two truck types.", XXIV Congreso de la Asociación Latinoamericana de Producción Animal, Puerto Varas, Chile, November 9-13, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  19. Rocha, L.M., Saucier, L., Maldague, X., Fleuret, J., and Faucitano, L. (2015). "Identification of the anatomical location on the pig body ensuring the most efficient use of infrared thermography for the assessment of body temperature variation in response to physical stress.", Canadian Journal of Animal Science. (Abstract)

    2015 - View publication details

  20. Conte, S., Faucitano, L., Bergeron, R., Torrey, S., Gonyou, H.W., Crowe, T., Toth Tamminga, E., Widowski, T.M. (2015). Effects of season, truck type, and location within truck on gastrointestinal tract temperature of market-weight pigs during transport. Journal of Animal Science, [online] 93(12), 5840-5848. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas.2015-9338

    2015 - View publication details

Contact

Research facility

Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre
2000 College Street
Sherbrooke, QC J1M 0C8
Canada

Expertise

Animals›Production
Food›Agriculture
Sciences›Scientific research

Affiliations

  • Associate professor, Université Laval, Département des sciences animales (Québec)

  • Associate professor, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Department of Animal Science, Brazil

  • Associate professor, University of Guelph, Departement of Animal Biosciences, Guelph, ON, Canada

Language

English
French

Other languages

Italian, Spanish, Portuguese