Welfare at slaughter

Question 1

Define slaughter

Answer 1

The killing of animals for food, causing the death of the animal by bleeding

Question 2

What are the 5 freedoms?

Answer 2

• freedom from hunger and thirst
• freedom from discomfort
• freedom from pain, injury or disease
• freedom to express normal behaviour
• freedom from fear and distress

Question 3

What is the lairage?

Answer 3

Housing at the slaughterhouse

Question 4

What are some factors for consideration at the lairage?

Answer 4

• Enough space to lie down
• Water ad lib
• Do not mix animals which may harm each other
• Temperature and humidity control
• Comfort, food and water for the night (if staying for more than 12 hours)
• Use of sticks – only to be used as an extension of your hand

Question 5

What is the purpose of stunning?

Answer 5

Renders the animal immediately insensible to pain

Question 6

What are the phases of stunning?

Answer 6

• Tonic
• Clonic
• Recovery? hopefully not seen

Question 7

What are the methods of stunning?

Answer 7

• Mechanical
• Chemical: gaseous
• Electrical

Question 8

What are 5 physical signs of an effective stun?

Answer 8

• Animal collapses (tonic and clonic phase)
• No rhythmic breathing
• Fixed, glazed expression
• No corneal reflex
• Relaxed jaw, possibly with tongue hanging out

Question 9

Where is the stunning position for cattle?

Answer 9

At the crossing point between two imaginary lines drawn between the eyes and the centre of the base of the opposite horns. The stunner should be held at right angles to the skull, so that the bolt is directed towards the brainstem.

Question 10

Where is the stunning position for sheep?

Answer 10

Polled - highest point on the head, on the midline, aiming straight down
Horned: on the mid line, behind the ridge between the horns and aimed towards the base of the tongue

Question 11

Where is the stunning position for a horse?

Answer 11

In horses, the brain is situated high in the head. The ideal site for stunning is in the middle of the forehead. Take two imaginary lines drawn from the eyes to the opposite ears; stun the animal approximately 10mm above the point where they cross.
The muzzle of the stunner should be tilted, if necessary, so that the bolt is directed through the upper brain towards the brainstem

Question 12

What occurs in the clonic phase of electrical stunning?

Answer 12

no CNS control, random firing of neurones causes muscle spasms

Question 13

No person may use electrodes to stun an animal unless…?

Answer 13

• appropriate measures are taken to ensure that there is good electrical contact
• the strength and duration of the current used is such that the animal is immediately rendered unconscious and remains so until it is dead.

Question 14

No person may use electrodes to stun an animal individually unless the apparatus…?

Answer 14

• incorporates an audible or visible device indicating the length of time of its application to an animal
• is connected to a device indicating the voltage and the current under load, positioned so as to be clearly visible to the operator.

Question 15

What are the gases used for stunning?

Answer 15

• Carbon dioxide
• Inert gases e.g. argon
• Vacuum or nitrogen

Question 16

Why is bleeding necessary?

Answer 16

For welfare and food safety

Question 17

Compare the different bleeding methods

Answer 17

Thoracic bleeds are less likely to cut the oesophagus vs neck bleeds – can lead to more contamination if this is cut – from the stomach contents

Question 18

What is the only kid of cut that can be used for halal slaughter?

Answer 18

Neck cut only

Question 19

What can influence meat quality and is found as post mortem evidence?

Answer 19

• Bad handling e.g. excessive use of sticks
• Fighting of animals
• Welfare on farm
• Stress

Question 20

How does stress affect muscles?

Answer 20

• Affects metabolism of glycogen
• Affected meat doesn’t eat or keep well
• Glycogen is energy source for muscle activity.
• Following slaughter, glycogen converted to lactic acid
• Amount of glycogen pre-slaughter affects pH achieved post-slaughter

Question 21

How does chronic stress affect meat?

Answer 21

• Chronic stress depletes glycogen
• Dark, firm, dry (DFD)
• Commonly beef. Also pigs and occasionally sheep.

Question 22

How does acute stress affect meat?

Answer 22

• Acute stress increases metabolic activity
• Heightened awareness and increased metabolic activity before slaughter
• Pale, soft, exudative (PSE)
• Predominantly pigs

Question 23

How can welfare at slaughter be observed and monitored?

Answer 23

Mandatory use of CCTV in slaughterhouses

Question 24

• Regulations on mandatory use of CCTV in slaughterhouses in England came into force in May 2018. All business operators must…?

Answer 24

• Install CCTV equipment in the slaughterhouse
• Keep CCTV images for 90 days
• Make the images available to FSA inspectors

Question 25

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) separate for each species for include?

Answer 25

- unloading animals - keeping animals in holding pens and fields (lairage) - moving and handling animals - restraining animals - stunning and killing animals - monitoring the stunning of animals - religious slaughter

Question 26

In poultry slaughter how does shacking differ in different stunning processes?

Answer 26

Electrical stunning: Shackle then stun | Gas stunning: Stun then shackle

Question 27

What are some of the processes involved in poultry slaughter?

Answer 27

- Stunning - Vacuum - Bleeding - Scalding, plucking, evisceration

Question 28

Give examples of stresses at transport for poultry

Answer 28

Temperature (hot / cold), Ventilation, Space allowance, Duration, Acceleration, Vibration, Motion, Impacts, Fasting, Withdrawal of water, Social disruption, Noise

Question 29

What are some considerations of electrical stunning for poultry?

Answer 29

- Ramp for head - Water spray to ensure good conduction - Water level can be adjusted - Pre-stun shocks - High frequency - Low frequency - The effect of small birds - Missed stunning

Question 30

Describe how stunning to kill works in poultry slaughter?

Answer 30

Low frequency stunning renders the majority of birds both stunned and killed, the likelihood of a bird regaining consciousness further down the slaughter line after the neck cutter is significantly reduced.

Question 31

Describe how stunning to stun works in poultry slaughter?

Answer 31

Improves meat quality (less broken bones, blood splashing). In general, with frequencies greater than 100 Hz, heart attacks are not induced in birds, so they exit the waterbath stunned but alive. - Bleeding must be accurate (severance of both carotid arteries though not required)

Question 32

What are the signs of an effective stun in poultry?

Answer 32

- The neck is arched with head held vertically - Eyes open - No rhythmic breathing - Rigidly extended legs (not an appropriate indicator when shackled) - Constant rapid body tremors - Wings held tightly against the body

Question 33

What are the advantages and disadvantages of an electrical stun?

Answer 33

``` Ad: - Very rapid - Relatively cheap Dis: - Proportion of birds miss stunning - High freq doesnt kill causing there to be a potential of reaching the scald tank conscious ```

Question 34

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a gas stun?

Answer 34

``` Ad: - Minimal pre-slaughter handling and no need for shackling - improved heath and safety of person hanging birds - no possibility of missing stun - improved carcass quality Dis: - expensive initial outlay - possible danger of leaks - discomfort ```

Question 35

In kosher meat, what is not allowed?

Answer 35

Stunning

Question 36

What are the halal bovine requirements?

Answer 36

- Must be kept upright in a approved restraining pen - A head restraint is required - Support to the animal is required during and after slaughter

Question 37

What are the halal requirements for handling animals?

Answer 37

- Not allowed in restraining pen unless ready - No animals should be hoisted or shackled for 20 sec for sheep and 30 sec for bovine - One sheep is allowed per cradle