SECTION 7 Preslaughter handling, stunning and slaughter methods Hygiene of animals presented for slaughter • Animals presented for slaughter should be sufficiently clean so that they do not compromise hygienic slaughter and dressing. • The conditions of holding of animals presented for slaughter should minimize cross-contamination with food-borne pathogens and facilitate efficient slaughter and dressing. • Slaughter animals should be subjected to ante-mortem inspection, with the competent authority determining the procedures and tests to be used, how examination is to be implemented, and the necessary training, knowledge, skills and ability of personnel involved. • Ante-mortem inspection should be science- and risk-based as appropriate to the circumstances, and should take into account all relevant information from the level of primary production. • Relevant information from primary production where available and results of ante-mortem inspection should be utilized in process control. • Relevant information from ante-mortem inspection should be analysed and returned to the primary producer as appropriate. ➙ MEATCOPHOTOS Conditions of lairage The establishment operator should ensure conditions of lairage that include: • facilities are operated in a way that soiling and cross-contamination of animals with food-borne pathogens is minimized to the greatest extent practicable; • holding of animals so that their physiological condition is not compromised and ante-mortem inspection can be effectively carried out, e.g. animals should be adequately rested and not overcrowded and protected from weather where necessary; • separation of different classes and types of slaughter animals as appropriate, e.g. sorting of animals by age so as to facilitate the efficiency of routine dressing, separation of animals with special dressing requirements, and separation of “suspects” that have been identified as having the potential to transfer specific food-borne pathogens to other animals; • systems to ensure that only animals that are sufficiently clean are slaughtered; • systems to ensure that feed has been appropriately withdrawn before slaughter; • maintenance of identification of animals (either individually, or as lots, e.g. poultry) until the time of slaughter and dressing; and • conveying of relevant information on individual animals or lots of animals to facilitate ante- and post-mortem inspection. Source: FAO/WHO, 2004. Preslaughter handling, stunning and slaughter methods SECTION 7 3 INTRODUCTION ANIMAL RESTRAINT TO FACILITATE STUNNING AND/OR SLAUGHTER When animals are killed for food, it is imperative for ethical reasons that the methods Animals have to be transferred from the lairage used do not inflict pain. To comply with this pens either directly or through a race into an requirement, animals should be rendered area where stunning and slaughter are carried insensible before slaughter. The period of out (see Section 5). Animals are often insensibility must include the time when it is transferred from the lairage through a race to initiated, through the start of the slaughter the stunning area. The race design should take process to the time taken for the animal to into account animals’ natural instincts and bleed to death. In most instances, except for normal behaviour. Race designs incorporating certain forms of religious slaughter, insensibility solid, smooth sides and walls, and non-slip is achieved by stunning the animals prior to flooring work well. Curved races with no dead slaughter. ends facilitate smooth movement of animals. In each of the methods that are used for Adequate lighting in the race also improves stunning and slaughtering animals, there should animal movement. Goading in the race should be means of verification that the processes were be as minimal as possible. adequately carried out. Care should be taken to In order to facilitate stunning and to protect protect operators during potentially hazardous the operators, some kind of restraint is processes. Furthermore, principles of meat necessary. Restraint should allow correct hygiene should be strictly adhered to in order to application of stunning equipment and protect prevent any contamination of edible parts of animal welfare, as well as protecting operators the carcass. from potential injury, especially from large The length of time animals spend in the animals. This may be achieved in a number lairage awaiting slaughter varies according to of ways. the abattoir’s work practices and throughput, but should not exceed 72 hours if in a covered Manual restraint in an open pen part of the slaughterhouse. In practice, the This is usually done by manually handling the average time will usually be only a few hours. free standing animal in an open area or a pen. Following this period, when the animal should The animal may enter the pen either directly be resting, it is moved from the holding pen to from holding areas or through raceways. the stunning pen or area, a process that should Electrical or captive bolt stunning in pigs and induce minimal stress (to both animal and stock sheep and religious slaughter (Photo 7.1) can be handler). carried out this way. However, safety and PHOTO. 7.1 Restraint by shackle before religious slaughter DIV. FARM ANIMAL SCI., BRISTOL UNIV., UK Good practices for the meat industry 4 welfare problems may be common, especially c when handling cattle. Restraint in a squeeze/crush pen This method involves holding the animal by pressure from the sides. Usually one side moves. It is not commonly used. a Cattle stunning pens b DIV. FARM ANIMAL SCI., BRISTOL UNIV., UK Different designs of cattle restraint pens can be PHOTO 7.2 used. The objective is to confine the animal in a Upright cattle restraint with monorail conveyor pen so that stunning and slaughter can be a) Chin lift, b) Monorail, c) Neck restraint carried out effectively and safely. Animals usually enter the pen after going through a race. The race should have smooth curved sides if they are long, and have sufficient light. Use of prods should be minimal. Pens must have gates to close after entry. For captive bolt stunning, facilities to present the head for correct stunning at the front are useful. Some cattle pens are specially a constructed for captive bolt or electrical stunning and/or religious slaughter. Upright (Photos 7.2 to 7.4) and Facomia pen (Photo 7.5) designs have additional features for extra restraint, such as a belly lift, back push and chin lift. The Facomia pen tilts the animal to approximately 45°. Rotary pens that turn the animal 180º (i.e. upside down) are more stressful and are banned in the United Kingdom. V-type restrainers c V-type restrainers use the principle of suspending the animals in a funnel-shaped b apparatus, which often has a conveyor system DIV. FARM ANIMAL SCI., BRISTOL UNIV., UK and is commonly used for pigs and sheep. It PHOTO 7.3 seems to work better for sheep than pigs. Sheep Upright cattle restraint with monorail (internal view) can be electrically stunned, either head only or a) Chin lift, b) Monorail, c) Neck restraint head-to-back at the end of the conveyor, either manually or automatically (Figure 7.1). Monorail restrainers This system holds the animal in a straddle position over a rail. When combined with a conveyor system, animals are moved to the point of stunning with possibly less stress than with V-restraint. This system is successfully used for pigs (Figure 7.2). Preslaughter handling, stunning and slaughter methods SECTION 7 5 PRESLAUGHTER STUNNING Animals must be stunned before slaughter by an appropriate, recognized stunning method that c a must produce immediate unconsciousness that lasts until death. Animals should be restrained prior to stunning if it improves the effectiveness of the stunning procedure, but they must not be b restrained unless they can be stunned and DIV. FARM ANIMAL SCI., BRISTOL UNIV., UK slaughtered without delay. Also, stunning must PHOTO 7.4 not be carried out unless the animal can be Upright cattle restraint: exsanguination by religious slaughtered without delay. Operators must be method a) Chin lift, b) Monorail, c) Neck restraint trained and competent to carry out and recognize effective stunning. The assessment of stunning must take place before any other procedure is carried out. Spare stunning or b a killing equipment must always be available for immediate use. Electrical stunning Electrical stunning equipment must be capable of producing an effective stun for the species and size of the animal. Electrodes must be c placed so that they span the brain (Figures 7.3 and 7.4) and sufficient voltage (> 200 volts) DIV. FARM ANIMAL SCI., BRISTOL UNIV., UK applied for ≥ 3 seconds to cause immediate PHOTO 7.5 unconsciousness. When sufficient current is Facomia cattle pen applied to the brain, an epileptic fit will be a) Chin lift, b) Rotating pen (45º), c) Belly lift produced during which the animal is unconscious. FIGURE 7.1 V-type restraint conveyor for FIGURE 7.2 V-type restraint conveyor sheep for pigs DIV. FARM ANIMAL SCI., BRISTOL UNIV., UK DIV. FARM ANIMAL SCI., BRISTOL UNIV., UK Good practices for the meat industry 6 FIGURE 7.3 GOOD PRACTICE: optimum tong position The relationship between Voltage (V), Current for head-only electrical stunning of pigs (I) and Resistance (R) is given by the formula: V = I x R. Therefore, the resistance between the electrodes will affect the induced current. The electrode/animal interface forms a major part of the overall resistance and, thus, the condition of the electrodes must be regularly inspected and maintained. The recommended minimum current to stun is given in Table 7.1. Head-only stunning tongs (pigs, sheep, goats and calves) should be fitted with electrodes that contain two parallel rows of teeth that are sharp enough to penetrate the outer layers of skin and to ensure that the electrodes do not slide following initial contact, thus maintaining the continuity of the current application.