Title: Scientific Opinion on monitoring procedures at slaughterhouses for bovines
Abstract: EFSA JournalVolume 11, Issue 12 3460 OpinionOpen Access Scientific Opinion on monitoring procedures at slaughterhouses for bovines EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW), Search for more papers by this author EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW), Search for more papers by this author First published: 03 December 2013 https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2013.3460Citations: 8 Panel members: Edit Authie, Charlotte Berg, Anette Bøtner, Howard Browman, Ilaria Capua, Aline De Koeijer, Klaus Depner, Mariano Domingo, Sandra Edwards, Christine Fourichon, Frank Koenen, Simon More, Mohan Raj, Liisa Shivonen, Hans Spoolder, Jan Arend Stegeman, Hans-Hermann Thulke, Antonio Velarde, Ivar Vågsholm, Preben Willeberg and Stéphan Zientara Correspondence: [email protected] Acknowledgement: The Panel wishes to thank the members of the Working Group: Charlotte Berg, Mohan Raj, Hans-Hermann Thulke, Hans Spoolder, Antonio Velarde for the preparatory work on this scientific opinion and the hearing experts: Bosse Algers, Haluk Anil, Antonio Benlloch, Terence Cassidy, Rebeca Garcia, Marien Gerritzen, Karen von Holleben, Charlie Mason, Luc Mirabito, Elisiv Tolo and Cees Vermeeren, and EFSA staff: Denise Candiani, Chiara Fabris and Maria Ferrara for the support provided to this scientific opinion. Adoption date: 23 October 2013 Published date: 3 December 2013 Question number: EFSA-Q-2012-00840 On request from: European Commission AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract This scientific opinion proposes toolboxes of welfare indicators for developing monitoring procedures at slaughterhouses for bovines stunned with penetrative captive bolt or slaughtered without stunning. In particular, the opinion proposes welfare indicators together with their corresponding outcomes of consciousness, unconsciousness or death. In the case of slaughter with captive bolt stunning, the opinion proposes a toolbox of indicators and the outcomes to be used to assess consciousness in bovine animals at three key stages of monitoring: (a) after stunning and during shackling and hoisting; (b) during neck cutting or sticking; and (c) during bleeding. For slaughter of bovines without stunning, a set of indicators and outcomes are proposed in another toolbox to be used for (a) assessing unconsciousness, before releasing bovines from restraint; and (b) confirming death before carcass dressing begins. Various activities-including a systematic literature review, an online survey and stakeholders' and hearing experts' meetings-were conducted to gather information about the specificity, sensitivity and feasibility of the indicators that can be included in the toolboxes. The frequency of checking differs according to the role of each person responsible for ensuring animal welfare. Personnel performing stunning, shackling, hoisting and/or bleeding will have to check all the animals and confirm that they are not conscious following stunning or before release from the restraint. For the animal welfare officer, who has the overall responsibility for animal welfare, a mathematical model for the sampling protocols is proposed, giving some allowance to set the sample size of animals that he/she needs to check at a given throughput rate (total number of animals slaughtered in the slaughterhouse) and tolerance level (number of potential failures). Finally, different risk factors and scenarios are proposed to define a 'normal' or a 'reinforced' monitoring protocol, according to the needs of the slaughterhouse. Citing Literature Volume11, Issue12December 20133460 ReferencesRelatedInformation