Slaughterhouse Flashcards
PH11; PH13-14
this is a legal requirement carried out by the official veterinarian (OV) in the slaughter house on all animals slaughtered for human consumption;
must be done within 24h of animal arrival and no more than 24h before slaughter
ante-mortem inspection (AMI)
name the 3 main purposes of an ante-mortem inspection (AMI)
- ID condition which could adversely affect human or animal health
- ensure animal welfare has not been compromised
- check animals are correctly ID’d to go in food chain
can a pig ever leave a slaughterhouse alive?
NO
name 3 options for OV judgement following AMI
- pass for slaughter for human consumption
- detain in lairage for further inspection
- reject fir slaughter for human consumption
what happens if an animal is rejected folling AMI (ante-mortem inspection)?
killed in lairage on welfare grounds and disposed of as animal by-product
can this animal be sent to the abattoir as Emergency slaughter?
an otherwise healthy animal that has suffered an accident that prevented its transport for welfare reasons to the abattoir
yes
can this animal be sent to the abattoir as Emergency slaughter?
fractious animals that are too wild to handle
yes
why are water buffalo and bison able to be sent to abattoir as Emergency Slaughter?
their anatomy prevents approved stunning methods
can this animal be sent to the abattoir as Emergency slaughter?
animals suffering from a chronic and/or metabolic condition
no
what sort of license must be carried in order to slughter an animal for human consumption?
certificate of competence
any bovine animal over 48mo of age sent as emergency slaughter requires what sample and testing?
brain stem sample to test for BSE
what age must pigs be in order to be fit for transport more than 100km?
at least 3 wks
what age must lambs be in order to be fit for transport more than 100km?
at least 1 week
what age must pigs be in order to be fit for transport more than 100km?
at least 10 days
this means any intentionally induced process which causes the death of an animal
killing
this means the killing of animals intended for human consumption
slaughtering
this means any intentionally induced process which causes loss of consciousness and sensibility without pain, including any process resulting in instantaneous death
stunning
name 4 approved mechanical stunning methods
- penetrative captive bolt
- non-penetrative captive bolt
- firearm
- cervical dislocation
name 3 approved electrical stunning methods
- head only
- head to body
- water bath
name 2 approved gas stunning methods
- CO2 at high concentration (min 80%)
- CO2 in 2 phases for poultry only
what must be held by the person carrying out slaughter operations
Certificate of Competence (CoC)
his main job is to ensure compliance with the animal welfare regulations;
must have a certificate of competence for ALL the operations carried out at the abattoir;
has the authority to carry out any remedial actions necessary to ensure animal welfare in conjunction with the overseeing vet
animal welfare officer (AWO)
the primary objective of this type of stunning is to induce immediate insensibility by administering a severe blow to the skull of the animal;
the animal must then remain unconscious until it dies
captive-bolt stunning
name the type of stunner
cause insensibility due to the concussive blow to the skull and the physical damage resulting from the entry of the bolt into the brain
penetrative stunners
name the type of stunner
have a ‘mushroom-headed’ bolt which impacts with the skull but does not enter the brain;
only permitted for use on poultry, rabbits, hares and ruminants less than 10kg liveweight
non-penetrative stunners
do personnel need a firearm license to operate a captive-bolt gun?
no
name the grain and colour
captive-bolt stunner cartridge for small animals such as calves, lambs, roe deer, and young goats
1.25 grain - pink
name the grain and colour
captive-bolt stunner cartridge for medium animals such as red deer, pigs, rams and adult goats
2.5 grain - purple
name the grain and colour
captive-bolt stunner cartridge for large cattle and horses and mature bulls
(two options)
- 3.0 grain - green
- 4.0 grain - black
where is the ideal stunning position in cattle and deer?
middle of the forhead - at crossing point between eyes and centre of base of opposite horns
where is the ideal stunning position in polled sheep?
highest point of head, on mid-line, aiming straight down
where is the ideal stunning position in horned sheep and all goats?
mid-line behind ridge between the horns, aimed towards the base of the tongue
where is the ideal stunning position in pigs?
20mm above eye-level, on mid-line of forehead, aiming towards tail
where is the ideal stunning position in horses?
middle of the forehead - 1cm above where lines from eyes to opposite ears cross
what is the most difficult animal to stun with captive-bolt equipment?
pigs
the principle of this type of stunning is to pass sufficient current through the brain to interrupt its normal activity so that animal becomes immediately unconsciouss and unable to feel pain
electrical stunning
this is the flow of electricity through an object and is measured in amps;
if the current is very small then it is described in milli-amps
current
this is the driving force (electrical pressure) behind the flow of a current and is measured in volts
voltage
this is the property of a material that limits current flow and is measured in ohm
resistance
what is Ohm’s Law?
current (I) = voltage (V) / resistance (R)
the overall resistance to current flow is due to what two factors?
- the tissues of the body
- the contact between the electrodes and the skin
name 4 components of the body that are poor conductors of electricity and therefore incr. resistance
- skin
- fat
- bone
- hair
name 2 reasons frequency is important in electrical stunning
- can interfere with meat quality
- can produce electronarcosis or electrocution
what frequency electrical stimulation of muscles at stunning can lead to blood splash, bruising, and broken bones?
low frequency
stunning with electricity is known as this;
it is a fully reversible procedure
electronarcosis
killing with electricity is known as this;
leads to cardiac arrest causing rapid death
electrocution
when carried out effectively, the result of electrical stunningis essentially the same as this
where the brain is severely stimulated, the body exhibits tonic/clonic activity, and there is complete loss of consciousness
epileptic seizure
name the 3 phases of a seizure
- tonic phase
- clonic phase
- recovery
name the 3 sequential phases used to electrically stun cattle
- 3 second head-only phase to stun animal
- 15s cardiac phase to induce ventricular fibrillation (cardiac arrest)
- 4s spinal discharge phase to reduce clonic convulsions
how long should pigs be exposed to CO2 to induce death
at least 2.5min
where should the incision be made for bleeding cattle, deer and horses?
in jugular furrow at base of neck
where should the incision be made for bleeding pigs?
12cm knife inserted in midline of neck at depression before breast bone
this is the time from application of stunning equipment to the start og bleeding
stun-to-stick interval
what is the maximum stun-to-stick interval for all pigs, sheep and goats?
15s
what is the maximum stun-to-stick interval for cattle with penetrative captive-bolt?
60s
what is the maximum stun-to-stick interval for cattle with non-penetrative captive-bolt?
30s
how long should bovine animals bleed for?
not less than 30s
how long should sheep, goats, pigs and deer animals bleed for?
not less than 20s
this is the physical destruction of the brain to ensure rapid death following captive-bolt stunning;
no longer practised in UK slaughterhouses;
ivolves inserting a flexible wire or polypropylene rod through the hole in the head made by a penetrative captive-bolt
pithing
