Welfare At Slaughter

Question 1

How has meat consumption generally changed?

What influences it?

Answer 1

Reduction

Increased ready meal consumption

Follows GDP

Question 2

What is slaughter?

Answer 2

Killing of animals for food, causing the death of the animal by bleeding

Question 3

Where are the different areas that welfare for slaughter can be affected?

Answer 3

• On the farm
• transport
• Ante-moretem evaluation
• Stunning and bleeding
• PM evaluation

Question 4

What are the 5 freedoms that slaughter system welfare is based on?

Answer 4

Freedom from:

• Hunger
• Discomfort
• Pain
• Express normal behaviour
• Fear
• Distress

Question 5

What should be allowed for animal in transport to the slaughter house?

Answer 5

Enough space to lie down

Ad lib water

Temp control

If over 12h food

Question 6

What is lariage?

Who is responsbile for lairage reporting?

Answer 6

Lairage- a place where the cattle/sheep may be rested on the way to slaughter/market

Reporting- depends on who is responsible

APHA- farm

Trading standards- Farm, transport and markets

FSA- slaugher house

Question 7

What is the purpose of stunning

What are the phases?

Answer 7

Stunning- to render the animal immediately insensitive to pain

Phases

Tonic phase

Clonic phase- involuntary kicking

Question 8

What are the different methods of stunning?

What are the pysical signs of an effective mechanical stun?

Answer 8

Mehcanical- bolt
Electrical
Chemical

Effective mechanical stun-
Animal collapses, no rythmic breathing, fixed glazed expression, no corneal reflex, relaxed jaw

Question 9

How are cattle, sheep, pigs and horses stunned with captive bolt?

Answer 9

Cattle- cross from base of horns and eyes

Sheep- polled at high point of the head

Pig- midline of the forehead

Horses- rarely used- middle of the forehead

Question 10

What is the equation for volts?

When stunning what are the different parts of the equation?

Where is the electrode placed in sheep and pigs?

What is used to increase conductivity?

Answer 10

Volts = current x resistance

Volts- electrode, resistance- animals head
Specific amps depending on size of animal

Sheep- behind the cheeks
Pigs- lower down (at the cheeks)

Can be made wet to increase conductivity

Question 11

What gasses are used for stunning?

Answer 11

Normally a mixture- CO2, heavier then air, cheap

Inert gasses- mor expensive, no physiological effect

Vaccum or nitrogen- poultry

Question 12

Why is bleeding necessary?

What is the advantage of a thorax stick in a sheep?

Answer 12

Bleeding- death is the result of exsanguination
necessary for welfare and food safety

Thorax stick- prevents oesophagus being cut and contamination

Question 13

What is looked for in PM?

Answer 13

Bad handling- excessive use of sticks, wool pull

Fighting pigs and cattle

Welfare on farm

Question 14

Why is maintaining low stress important?

Answer 14

Stress (cortisol) affects metabolism of glycogen in muscles

Affected meat doesn’t keep as well, glycogen is energy source for muscle activity, following slaughter glycogen is converted to lactic acid

If glycogen is low the pH cannot drop to denature proteins

Question 15

What it legally required to audit slaughter welfare?

Answer 15

Regulations on mandatory use of CCTV in slaughterhouses-
all business operators must- install CCTV, keep for 90 days and make availble for FSA inspectors

Question 16

What is the most common stunning for poultry?

What is the difference between high and low frequnecy stunning?

What are the signs of a effective electrical stun?

What are the Adv and Dis of electrical stunning?

Answer 16

Electrical- water bath stunning

Low frequency- stun to kill- less likely to regain consciouss (not halal)
High frequency- improves quality, bleeding must be accurate

Signs of effective- neck is arches, eyes open, no rhytmic breathing, extended legs, constant rapid body tremors, wings held tight against the body

Adv- rapid, cheap
Dis- high frequency doesnt kill

Question 17

What are the advantages and disadvantages of gas killing?

What are the different relgious slaughters and how do they differ?

What are the rules for slaughter?

Answer 17

Gas killing adv- minimal handling, improved health and safety, no possibility of preshocks, improved carcus quality
Gas killing dis- expensive initial outlay, possible danger of leaks, initial discomfort

Kosher- no stunning
Halal- stunning allowed not death- death needs to be done by slaughterman

Rules

Religuous- Animals must be upright, head restraint, support is required
Handling- not allowed in restaining pen unless ready
Not hoisted for 20 seconds for sheep, 30 for bovine
Sharp knife, 1 movement- carotid and jugular in 1