Researcher Antonio Velarde, head of the animal welfare program at the Institute for Agri-Food Research and Technology (IRTA) and a member of EFSA’s health and welfare panel, is one of the experts in charge of reviewing the situation of animals in farm in reference to animal welfare. Through different scientific opinions, Velarde, along with an international group of scientists, has identified and characterized 40 well-being dangers that could occur during sacrifice. Velarde has been interviewed by Adeline Marcos for SINC where he talks extensively on this topic.
Question: What is the point of such inquiries?
Answer: Only public bodies can make the request and do so to have a scientific basis for a specific management, such as a revision of the legislation – in this case that of 2009 – or to have starting scientific arguments for a position with other connotations such as socioeconomic or cultural ones. With these reports we want to establish that scientific basis so that it can then be managed properly, from knowledge.
Q: Despite regulations to ensure animal welfare in slaughterhouses, animals suffer during the process. What have they found?
A: The last phase of production, which is the transport and slaughterhouse, is possibly one of the most important. The animals take their whole life to the farm, with specific conditions of feeding and care, a routine and personnel in their charge, when suddenly one day they take them out of their environment than the security ones and put them in a truck, in a whole new environment. Then they take them to the slaughterhouse, mixing them with unknown animals and other people. It is a time, especially sensitive, that causes stress in animals. It has to be regulated in order to identify the causes that cause welfare problems and thus solve it or, at least, minimize the impact.
Q: What happens during transportation, for example?
A: The animals are without food or drink, and have their movements restricted at those times. Also, the vehicle is moving and it is probably the first time they are inside. If it is possible to identify potential hazards, they can be addressed. That is the idea of opinion: to identify the causes of discomfort.
Q: But both transportation and arrival at the slaughterhouse are inevitable processes. What alternatives exist to avoid suffering?
A: Factors cannot be eliminated because it is a part of the production process, but if it is known it can reduce the negative impact they can have. For example, we will look for a truck that is adapted to the conditions and we know that the issues will go up a very steep ramp, that they will have a suitable space in transport so that they can rest all at once and lie down without having to peel. If we know that more than 18 or 24 hours without producing a feeling of hunger, we must avoid it being much longer without food. It is also important that people who handle these animals have the knowledge of how to perceive the environment and their behavior so that they can manipulate them by reducing stress.
Q: Stress is the biggest suffering in these animals. Have you noticed differences in individuals, ages, or genders?
A: Inside the cow, it depends on the previous life you have had. Animals that have lived in extensive livestock are more difficult to handle in terms of confined space or contact with people when loading them into the truck. There are also animals that have a physical problem such as a lameness or injury and have compromised movements. These are more difficult to transport, but, for this, the regulations already state that not all individuals are suitable for transport. An inspection must be made and those who cannot stand the journey – because they cannot move by themselves – should not be transported. In these cases, the sacrifice is forced to take place on the farm.
Q: With respect to other animals slaughtered such as birds, rabbits and pigs, the capacity for suffering is the same as well, but can there be differences?
A: The ability to suffer is the same in all animals from birds, rabbits, pigs and cattle. They are animals with the ability to have emotions and this is scientifically proven. But due to their behavior or nature, the causes of stress in one species are often different from those in others. For example, the pig is monogastric (simple stomach) which unlike ruminant may have more sensitivity if it transports large grains and may be more prone to having mothers in the truck. The pig is also more hierarchical and may have a behavior that may cause some things to be perceived differently. But ultimately, the ability to experience emotions and suffer if exposed to a negative environment is similar between species.
Q: One of the processes that is done to prevent further suffering in these living beings is pre-death attrition, but this step does not always work, and animals may still be conscious at this time. Is it like that?
A: At the time of slaughter and bleeding it is an obligation to stun all animals. They have to be unconscious because holding and cutting causes pain. Unconsciousness must be generated before numbness and prolonged until the death of the animal. But stunning systems operate under certain conditions and it must be borne in mind that those conditions are guaranteed to be effective. That is why we propose that after each stunning it be evaluated whether the animal is unconscious or not. Unconscious indicators are proposed for follow-up. If it is detected at some point that the animal is about to regain consciousness, it has to stun again immediately so that it does not recover. Then you have to review the parameters that may have caused that to fail.
Q: Apart from this, what are the main problems or faults that can be found in slaughterhouses?
A: Although they are increasingly prepared, a characteristic of the animal’s suffering in the slaughterhouse is that as it is produced before slaughter, any stressful situation or welfare problem will be reflected in the quality of the meat. For example, if unknown animals mix and start fighting and climbing on top of each other, that will cause bruising that will then affect quality. If they spend a lot of time fasting they will also cause depletion. This impact has made slaughterhouses increasingly concerned and aware, not only about welfare, but also about the quality of the meat.
Q: How can staff handling animals influence their suffering?
A: In addition to the design of the slaughterhouse, staff training has always been a critical point. It is almost the most important. Workers need to be trained and have the knowledge to handle animals. The legislation requires that there be a certificate of competence to be able to work directly with the animals. The problem that is often encountered is the low salary that is paid and the rotation of these working powers. This prevents people from consolidating. The greatest threat to animal welfare in slaughterhouses is temporary and working conditions.
Q: What recommendations have you proposed to improve animal welfare?
Emphasis is placed on the fact that the design of the slaughterhouses guarantees well-being, for example that the waiting corrals are protected from any inclement weather, and that the center has ventilation to ensure thermal comfort and rest. The driving steps must also be suitable in lighting singing. To this was added the training and education of the staff, who are understanding the animals, who know how they behave, how they perceive (sell and hear) the environment … This can help them to have a calmer management. It will also be recommended that, until they reach the slaughterhouse, the truck unload the animals quickly, and that they be slaughtered as much as possible to reduce the time they are in the slaughterhouse. Being a new environment the slaughterhouse will always cause them a stressful situation, even if we don’t want to.
Q: Are some of these measures not being taken in the current regulation?
A: Well, yes they are collected with respect to the slaughterhouse design and the staff training certificate. The novelty of opinion, which can help legislation, is that we have tried to look for measures in the animal that help workers make decisions. Normally the requirements of the legislation are based on the facilities, the environment and the temperature, among others. Here what we try to go through is how the operator can assess whether an animal is cold or hot, if it has difficulty moving, what indicators it may have for unconsciousness, and so on. Animal-based measures have been sought because ultimately good is something inherent in this. It is neither in the facilities nor in the handling, it is the animal that feels it. Therefore it is necessary to focus it more towards him.
Q: And let it be treated more as a living being than as an object …
A: Yes, we have to recognize the ability of animals to have emotions, but we also have to be able to differentiate them from our anthropomorphic feelings. When the animals go to the slaughterhouse they feel stress because the situation is new, but they do not suffer because they know they are going to die. There is no evidence that the animals know that it will be their final destination.