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EUWelNet
Coordinated European
Animal Welfare Network
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Antonio Velarde
Spanish National Contact Point
IRTA, Animal Welfare Subprogram, Veïnat de Síes,
Monells, 17121, Spain
Website: http://www.euwelnet.eu
Background:
2006 Community Action Plan
on the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2006-2010
‘creation of a European Centre or Laboratory
for the protection and welfare of animals ‘
Support to the Commission and the MS with technical expertise.
Conduct training courses.
Contribute to dissemination of research findings and technical
innovations
Coordination of research.
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Call (SANCO 2012/10293) for a pilot project
‘to investigate (and make recommendations) on the
feasibility and usefulness of a network of technical
resources designed to assist the competent
authorities and the stakeholders in improving the
implementation of EU legislation on animal welfare
through targeted knowledge strategies.’
Background:
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Objectives:
1) Establish and coordinate a network of
recognised technical, scientific and
educational experts in the field
2)Identify some of the bottlenecks/ difficulties
in implementing EU legislation on animal
welfare
3)Develop and test knowledge transfer
strategies designed to overcome selected
bottlenecks
4)Make recommendations on the feasibility
and the likely conditions required for an
effective European animal welfare
network
WP4 Overarching analysis and
recommendations
WP2 Difficulties &
Bottlenecks
WP
3.1
Pig
s
WP
3.1
Kil
lin
g
Coordination Team WP1
WP3 Knowledge
strategies
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Council Directive 2008/120/EC of 18 December 2008 laying
down minimum standards for the protection of pigs.
Council Directive 2007/43 of 28 June 2007 laying down
minimum rules for the protection of chickens kept for meat
production.
Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 of 24 September
2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing.
Legislations:
Task 3.4 Setting up a technical network of experts to
develop and improve standard operation procedures to
implement welfare requirements at slaughter (of poultry,
pigs, cattle and sheep)
Antonio Velarde, Pedro Rodriguez, Joaquim Pallisera (IRTA)
Steve Wotton (UoB)
Lotta Berg (SLU)
Marien Gerritzen, Merel Verhoeven and Hans Spoolder (WUR-LR)
Luc Mirabito (Institute d’Elevage)
Claudia Terlouw (INRA)
Xavier Manteca (UAB)
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1. Development of a technical network.
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2. Identification of the main causes of difficulties in:
- Implementation of minimum electrical requirements for
effective waterbath stunning in poultry.
- Assessing unconsciousness after mechanical stunning in
bovines, electrical stunning of ovine and poultry, and gas
stunning in pigs.
3. Development of strategies to solve these difficulties with SOPs
4. Assessment of the effectiveness of the SOPs.
5. Evaluation of the role of the technical network in the development
of the SOPs.
Objectives:
1. Development of the technical network
• Identification of the national contact points in
– UK: FAWC Secretariat
– France: Institute d’Elevage/INRA
– Sweden: SLU
– The Netherlands: Wageningen UR Livestock Research
– Spain: IRTA
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2. Identification of the main causes of the difficulties in implementation
of requirements for waterbath stunning in poultry and the valid and
reliable assessment of unconsciousness
• Questionnaire to Competent Authorities:
– Bottlenecks
– Actions
– Guidelines
– Revision
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Waterbath stunning in poultry:
• Huge variation in stunning parameters.
• Poor understanding of the variation in current delivered to
each bird.
• Very difficult to assess effective waterbath stunning.
• One solution to gain greater control is the use of SOPs.
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Main conclusions
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Development of standardized assessment guidelines in response
to Regulation 1099/2009 in most of cases.
• The industry has applied to the CA for collaboration.
• The CA has revised the guidelines.
– The industry has consulted to competent authorities the difficulties
faced and CA have taken actions to improve the assessment
procedure:
• WBS in poultry in all cases except Sweden.
• Electrical stunning in sheep in Spain and Sweden.
• Gas stunning in pigs in Netherlands and Spain
• Captive bolt stunning in cattle in Spain
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Main conclusions
Subtask 3.4.2. Identification of the main causes of the difficulties in implementation of
requirements for waterbath stunning in poultry and the valid and reliable
assessment of unconsciousness
• Spot visit to abattoirs: (5 per specie)
– AWOs: difficulties, criteria, SOPs, scientific support
– OVs: difficulties
– Direct assessment of the main difficulties, risk factors.
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Slaughterhouses questionnaires
• SOPs
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Gas stunned pigs Electrically stunned sheep
WBS poultry Captive bolt stunned cattle
Unconsciousness assessment SOP No unconsciousness assessment SOP SOPs to assess unconsiousness No SOPs to assess unconsiousness
– The assessment of unconsciousness is carried out according to
the description of the SOP
– Animals that recovered consciousness before brain death and
are not detected by operators
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Main conclusions of direct observation
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– Common:
• Lack of training of both the operators and the AWO.
• Slaughterhouse facilities often do not allow a correct assessment
of unconsciousness.
– Cattle:
• Questionable security for the operator.
• Clonic activity occurred from hoisting and made assessment of
rhythmic breathing difficult in some animals.
– Pigs:
• Rhythmic breathing is difficult to assess.
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Main conclusions
Risk factors
– Sheep:
• Post-stun convulsions (clonic activity) can mask the presence of
rhythmic breathing.
– Poultry:
• The high line speed difficult the assessment of unconsciousness.
• Access to the birds is sometimes very difficult due to
slaughterhouses facilities.
• The criteria used to determine effective electrical stunning is
compromised by the application of the stunning current to the whole
bird, which can result in paralysis without stunning.
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Main conclusions
Risk factors
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– Assessment of the operation of a poultry WBS.
– Assessment of unconsciousness:
• In poultry after electrical waterbath stunning.
• In sheep after electrical stunning.
• In pigs after gas stunning
• In cattle after captive bolt stunning
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3. Development of strategies and SOP
3. Development of strategies and SOP
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Focus on management
recommendation, not
structural
– Objective.
– Responsibility.
– Procedure.
– Control measures:
• By the operator.
• By the AWO.
– Corrective actions:
• By the operator.
• By the AWO.
– Records:
• Operator.
• AWO.
– Operator decision tree.
– AWO decision tree.
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(EFSA Journal 2013;11(12):3460 - bovines)
(EFSA Journal 2013;11(12):3521 - poultry)
(EFSA Journal 2013;11(12):3523 - pigs)
(EFSA Journal 2013;11(12):3522 - sheep and goats)
“MONITORING PROCEDURES AT SLAUGHTERHOUSES”
on loss of consciousness
able to detect, with high level of confidence, unsatisfactory stunning / slaughtering practices
Specify the criteria for selecting indicators, based on the level of sensitivity and specificity
Identification of indicators
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Ex. Operation WBS
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Ex. Operation WBS
OPERATOR(S) DECISION TREE
Before bleeding: - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Eye movements
Record re-stun Revise equipment and stunning procedure
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
STICKING
Before hoisting: - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Eye movements
Record re-stun Revise equipment and stunning procedure
None of the indicators of consciousness are present
Before being released from the box:
- Remain standing or resume standing posture
- Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing
Record re-stun Revise equipment and stunning procedure
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
Re-stun
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
None of the indicators of consciousness are present
Re-stun
None of the indicators of consciousness are present
During bleeding - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Eye movements
Record re-stun Revise equipment and stunning procedure
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
Re-stun Re-stick
Re-stun
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
SOP cattle stunned with captive bolt
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OPERATOR(S) DECISION TREE
Before bleeding: - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Eye movements
Record re-stun Revise equipment and stunning procedure
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
STICKING
Before hoisting: - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Eye movements
Record re-stun Revise equipment and stunning procedure
None of the indicators of consciousness are present
Before being released from the box:
- Remain standing or resume standing posture
- Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing
Record re-stun Revise equipment and stunning procedure
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
Re-stun
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
None of the indicators of consciousness are present
Re-stun
None of the indicators of consciousness are present
During bleeding - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Eye movements
Record re-stun Revise equipment and stunning procedure
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
Re-stun Re-stick
Re-stun
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
SOP cattle stunned with captive bolt
ANIMAL WELFARE OFFICER DECISION TREE
Before bleeding: - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Corneal reflex - Nose pinching response
Ask the operator to
re-stun
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
Just after stunning: - Remain standing or resume standing
posture - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Corneal reflex
- Check stunning procedures and equipment (short-term correction) -Retrain operator in the application of the SOP -Internal audit (long-term correction)
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
Ask the operator to
re-stun
None of the indicators of
consciousness are present
Before hoisting: - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Corneal reflex - Nose pinching response
None of the indicators of
consciousness are present
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
Ask the operator to
re-stun
- Check stunning procedures and equipment (short-term correction) -Retrain operator in the application of the SOP -Internal audit (long-term correction)
- Check stunning procedures and equipment (short-term correction) -Retrain operator in the application of the SOP -Internal audit (long-term correction)
During bleeding: - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Corneal reflex - Nose pinching response
None of the indicators of
consciousness are present
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
- Check stunning procedures and equipment (short-term correction) -Retrain operator in the application of the SOP -Internal audit (long-term correction)
Ask the operator to re-stun and to re-
stick
SOP cattle stunned with captive bolt
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ANIMAL WELFARE OFFICER DECISION TREE
Before bleeding: - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Corneal reflex - Nose pinching response
Ask the operator to
re-stun
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
Just after stunning: - Remain standing or resume standing
posture - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Corneal reflex
- Check stunning procedures and equipment (short-term correction) -Retrain operator in the application of the SOP -Internal audit (long-term correction)
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
Ask the operator to
re-stun
None of the indicators of
consciousness are present
Before hoisting: - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Corneal reflex - Nose pinching response
None of the indicators of
consciousness are present
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
Ask the operator to
re-stun
- Check stunning procedures and equipment (short-term correction) -Retrain operator in the application of the SOP -Internal audit (long-term correction)
- Check stunning procedures and equipment (short-term correction) -Retrain operator in the application of the SOP -Internal audit (long-term correction)
During bleeding: - Righting reflex - Vocalizations - Rhythmic breathing - Corneal reflex - Nose pinching response
None of the indicators of
consciousness are present
One or more indicators of consciousness are present or in
case of doubt
- Check stunning procedures and equipment (short-term correction) -Retrain operator in the application of the SOP -Internal audit (long-term correction)
Ask the operator to re-stun and to re-
stick
SOP cattle stunned with captive bolt
• 25 slaughterhouses
• FBOs, AWOs and OVs
• 1st visit: Presentation of the SOP
• 2nd visit (after 2 months):
– Assessment of implementation and effectiveness
– Interview
– Direct evaluation of the monitoring procedure
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4. Assessing the effectiveness of the SOPs in the
pilot study
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• Level of implementation:
5 slgthouses: To complement their own protocols
4 slgthouses: To improve their own SOPs.
6 slgthouses: Adapted the SOPs to their own procedures and
facilities
5 slgthouses: Without apparent interest to adopt the SOPs
4 slgthouses: Lack of time, but with interest to implement the
SOPs in the near future
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4. Assessing the effectiveness of the SOPs in the
pilot study
5. Evaluation of the role of the technical network in the
development of the SOPs
• 2nd technical meeting to assess the effectiveness of the
technical network in identifying and implementing
knowledge based strategies to overcome the difficulties.
• Identification of experts from other EU countries for possible
inclusion in a future network designed to further progress
the work on welfare at slaughter.
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5. Evaluation of the role of the technical network in the
development of the SOPs
• Identification of experts from other EU countries for possible
inclusion in a future network designed to further progress
the work on welfare at slaughter.
Identification of experts in AW at slaughter in EU countries.
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• Report on the main causes of difficulties in implementation of requirements for waterbath stunning in poultry and the valid and reliable assessment of unconsciousness in all species.
• SPOs for the WBS of poultry and the valid and reliable assessment of unconsciousness after mechanical stunning in bovines, electrical stunning in ovines, water bath electrical stunning in poultry, and gas stunning in pigs.
• Report on the effectiveness of the SOPs developed here and of the role and efficiency of the pilot technical network of experts.
• List of candidate groups and/or individuals in each EU country for possible inclusion in a future technical network on welfare at slaughter).
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Deliverables
Thank you for your attention
Website: http://www.euwelnet.eu