scholarly journals Optimization of stunning electrical parameters to improve animal welfare in a poultry slaughterhouse

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariagrazia Girasole ◽  
Claudia Chirollo ◽  
Marina Ceruso ◽  
Lucia Vollano ◽  
Antonio Chianese ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Meat Quality ◽  
Electrical Current ◽  
Water Bath ◽  
Electrical Parameters ◽  
Optimal Setting ◽  
Commercial Poultry ◽  
Average Current ◽  
Effective Water ◽  
The Eu

Animal killing for food production and the related operations are events that may induce pain, stress, fear and other forms of suffering to the animals. To face this problem and guarantee the animal welfare, the EU has adopted the Regulation (EC) N. 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing. Electrical water bath stunning is one of the methods used in commercial slaughterhouses to protect poultry welfare. In particular, this method induces unconsciousness into the birds due to run of electrical current through the head and body. The aim of the present work was to find an optimal setting of electrical parameters to obtain an effective water bath stunning in a commercial poultry slaughterhouse. Moreover, the influence of the tested electrical parameters on meat quality was evaluated. All the experiments confirmed that high stunning frequencies induce a lower occurrence of lesions on carcasses but, on the other hand, require greater current intensities to be effective. A frequency of 750 Hz and an average current intensity of 200 mA for each bird in the water bath resulted as the best combination of electrical parameters to obtain a proper stunning without any consequence on the meat quality.

scholarly journals Water-bath stunning process in broiler chickens: Effects of voltage and intensity

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. e0502
Author(s):  
Martin Novoa ◽  
Luis Vázquez ◽  
Almudena Lage ◽  
Inmaculada González-Torres ◽  
Luis F. Pérez-García ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Water Bath ◽  
The Other ◽  
Intensity Level ◽  
Electrical Parameters ◽  
Opposite Trend ◽  
Commercial Poultry ◽  
Effective Water

The effect of electrical parameters (intensity and voltage) to obtain an effective water-bath stunning in a commercial poultry slaughterhouse was studied. A total of 390 broilers were randomly divided into six experimental groups according to the intensity (150 and 200 mA) and voltage (51-60, 61-80 and 81-100 V). Statistical analysis showed a significant (p<0.001) effect of electrical parameters on the cloacal reflex since the response rate was 8 s for 96% of broilers. On the other hand, the stunning treatments suppressed the palpebral reflex up to 12 s in 80% of broilers. All stun-treated broilers showed breathing response after 27 s with an average time between 45 and 50 s depending on voltage and intensity of the current. Regarding voltage, the percentage of complete neck cutting increased with the increase of voltage, presenting the highest levels in broilers stunned at 81-100 V (100 and 92.8%, for 150 and 200 mA, respectively). Concerning to intensity, the best results were obtained in broilers stunned at 150 mA, showing mean percentages of 94.83 and 87.30%, for 150 and 200 mA, respectively. The bruises on wings were significantly (p<0.001) affected by voltage, observing the highest values in broilers slaughtered at lower voltages. An opposite trend was observed on bruises under the wings since the lowest voltages showed (p<0.001) lower levels (1.34 and 1.42%, for 150 and 200 mA, respectively). Finally, bruises on dorsal winds and on back were significantly (p<0.001) influenced by intensity level, showing the lowest percentages in broilers stunned at 150 mA.

scholarly journals Designing an Institutional Network for Improving Farm Animal Welfare in the EU

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 1081-1093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Jones ◽  
Joop Lensink ◽  
Maria Cecilia Mancini ◽  
Richard Tranter
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Institutional Network ◽  
The Eu

scholarly journals Methods to Prevent Future Severe Animal Welfare Problems Caused by COVID-19 in the Pork Industry

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 830
Author(s):  
Temple Grandin
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Detrimental Effect ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Electrical Parameters ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Pork Industry ◽  
Third Party Auditing ◽  
The Cost ◽  
High Welfare

In the U.S., the most severe animal welfare problems caused by COViD-19 were in the pork industry. Thousands of pigs had to be destroyed on the farm due to reduced slaughter capacity caused by ill workers. In the future, both short-term and long-term remedies will be needed. In the short-term, a portable electrocution unit that uses scientifically validated electrical parameters for inducing instantaneous unconsciousness, would be preferable to some of the poor killing methods. A second alternative would be converting the slaughter houses to carcass production. This would require fewer people to process the same number of pigs. The pandemic revealed the fragility of large centralized supply chains. A more distributed supply chain with smaller abattoirs would be more robust and less prone to disruption, but the cost of pork would be greater. Small abattoirs can coexist with large slaughter facilities if they process pigs for specialized premium markets such as high welfare pork. The pandemic also had a detrimental effect on animal welfare inspection and third party auditing programs run by large meat buyers. Most in-person audits in the slaughter plants were cancelled and audits were done by video. Video audits should never completely replace in-person audits.

The Impact of the Ban on Seal Products on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: A European Issue

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 389-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothée Cambou
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Indigenous Rights ◽  
Economic Rights ◽  
Legal Challenges ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

Abstract A ban on seal product for animal welfare concerns had been adopted by the EU Parliament in 2009. This article examines whether the ban can be contested on the grounds of its effect on indigenous rights. It will first be determined whether the directive encroaches on the rights of indigenous peoples, as proclaimed by the UN Declaration. Despite the clause that exempts the purchasing of seal products, of which the Inuit are benefactors of; it is still believed that the Declaration has been breached, and thus constitutes a violation of their cultural and economic rights. The second section examines how the Inuit have challenged the Directive Regulation on Seal product. Overall, through the examination of this case, the goal of this article is to highlight the legal challenges facing Europe vis-à-vis the development of indigenous peoples’ rights.

scholarly journals The Benefits of Farm Animal Welfare Legislation: The Case of the EU Broiler Directive and Truthful Reporting

2018 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Bennett ◽  
Kelvin Balcombe ◽  
Philip Jones ◽  
Andrew Butterworth
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Animal Welfare Legislation ◽  
The Eu

scholarly journals Dropping the Ball? The Welfare of Ball Pythons Traded in the EU and North America

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil D’Cruze ◽  
Suzi Paterson ◽  
Jennah Green ◽  
David Megson ◽  
Clifford Warwick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
North America ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Royal Society ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Commercial Enterprise ◽  
Youtube Videos ◽  
Water Provision ◽  
The Eu

Ball pythons (family Pythonidae) remain a commonly exploited species, readily available for purchase in North America and Europe. We assessed the housing conditions of more than 5000 Ball pythons across six exotic pet expositions and 113 YouTube videos. We scored provisions for hygiene, mobility, shelter, substrate and water provision, based on the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals (RSPCA) minimum guidelines. We found most entities involved in this commercial enterprise are not providing housing conditions that meet the minimum welfare recommendations for Ball pythons, either publicly or privately. We found that breeders and vendors typically utilised small and highly restrictive enclosures, with dimensions that prevented occupants from extending their bodies to full and unrestricted natural length. Our study also highlights that most vendors are not providing adequate written husbandry guidance to potential consumers, either at exotic pet expositions, on their commercial website, or on associated social media pages. Furthermore, our study also indicates that most potential consumers may themselves be unable to recognise unsuitable housing conditions that do not meet minimum animal welfare standards for Ball pythons. We suggest that more consistent guidance, adherence to agree principles and more potent operating models that are formally incorporated into relevant legislation would greatly aid existing and future efforts to safeguard animal welfare in this regard.

Can the monitoring of animal welfare parameters predict pork meat quality variation through the supply chain (from farm to slaughter)?1

2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 359-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. Rocha ◽  
A. Velarde ◽  
A. Dalmau ◽  
L. Saucier ◽  
L. Faucitano
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Meat Quality ◽  
Pork Meat ◽  
Quality Variation
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