Reducing stress at slaughter: Why and how

Transcription

1 Reducing stress at slaughter: Why and how Claudia Terlouw INRA - UMR1213 Herbivores, Saint-Genès-Champanelle UMR1213 Herbivores A G R I C U L T U R E A L I M E N T A T I O N E N V I R O N N E M E N T

2 Reducing stress at slaughter Stress = presence of negative emotions Perception of threat (real or imagined) Stress state and stress responses (physiological, behavioural) Why is this a problem at slaughter?

3 Reducing stress at slaughter Why? Ethical reasons UMR1213 Herbivores A G R I C U L T U R E A L I M E N T A T I O N E N V I R O N N E M E N T

4 ethical reasons: historical aspects There are no ethical reasons for humans to care for animals Animal-machines Aristotle ( BCE) René Descartes ( ) nonhuman animals lack reason and are ranked below humans no mind, no reason, no thoughts Descartes, Discourse on Method, 1637

5 ethical reasons: historical aspects There are ethical reasons for humans to care for animals Animals are sensitive beings Peter Singer: Darwin and the Animals, 2009 Jeremy Bentham ( ): The question is not: Can they reason? Can they talk? But: Can they suffer? Charles Darwin ( ): Bentham, footnote in the Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789) Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy of the interposition of a deity more humble and I believe true to consider him created from animals Darwin, Notebook II, 1838 Similarities between humans and animals Animals and humans have common origins Darwin, The Descent of Man, 1871

6 ethical reasons: scientific aspects Stress: presence of negative emotions In humans, negative emotions are treated by the limbic system. X Example: People who have a lesion in the amygdala do not experience fear and cannot recognise a fearful expression The amygdala is involved in fear. Ekman, 2003

7 ethical reasons: scientific aspects Limbic system Human Rat Rats that have a lesion in the amygdala do not show fearful behaviour when confronted with a predator The amygdala is involved in fear in humans AND animals.

8 Reducing stress at slaughter Why? Ethical reasons: Much scientific evidence of strong analogies between humans and higher animals: - neurology - physiology - behaviour Animals can experience negative emotions Paul et al., 2005; Boissy et al., 2007; LeDoux, 2000; Panksepp et al., 2005; Damasio, 1998 UMR1213 Herbivores A G R I C U L T U R E A L I M E N T A T I O N E N V I R O N N E M E N T

9 Reducing stress at slaughter Why? Security and working conditions UMR1213 Herbivores A G R I C U L T U R E A L I M E N T A T I O N E N V I R O N N E M E N T

10 Fear: Security and working conditions Avoidance and defense reactions Difficult handling: Time consuming Security problems Further stress Bourguet et al., 2011a, b

11 Security and working conditions Fear inducing events in the corridor leading to the stunning box: Visible presence of man Painful interventions Sudden audible sounds 55 % of the animals were compressed 17 % of the animals slipped 8 % of the animals fell down 3 % of the animals were walked on Bourguet et al., 2011b

12 Reducing stress at slaughter Why? Meat quality UMR1213 Herbivores A G R I C U L T U R E A L I M E N T A T I O N E N V I R O N N E M E N T

13 Meat quality Absence d apports : How muscle becomes meat Exsanguination Breakdown of muscle glycogen in the absence of oxygen Absence of blood circulation Production and local accumulation of : lactate protons Acidification of the muscle: conversion into meat Rate and degree of the acidification colour water holding capacity shelf life juiciness tenderness

14 Absence Meat quality d apports : Stress and the production of dark cutting meat ph decline (=acidification) after slaughter neutral acid Dark cutting meat (phu > 6.0) Normal meat (phu ) hours post mortem Degree of acidification: Muscle glycogen reserves at the moment of slaughter Impact of stress Stress during the pre-slaughter period Decrease of glycogen: below a given threshold high ultimate ph

15 Absence Meat quality d apports : Stress and the production of an exudative-type of meat ph decline (=acidification) after slaughter neutral 6,5 6,0 Normal meat (ph45min > 6.0) 5,5 acid Exudative meat (ph45min < 6.0) hours post mortem Rate of acidification: Physiological status of the animal at the moment of slaughter Impact of stress Stress at the moment of slaughter Acceleration of muscle metabolism faster ph decline

16 Absence Meat quality d apports : To obtain a better control of meat quality We have to determine the impact of stress on meat quality via ph decline or other processes ph Dark cutting A range of meat qualities Exudative hours post mortem

17 Absence Meat quality d apports : longissimus ph 40min pm young bulls: r = ; p< Limousin Blond d Aquitaine Heart rate the minutes preceding slaughter (bpm) Angus The lower the stress (low heart rate) the slower the ph decline (Bourguet et al., in press) accelerated muscle metabolism (efforts) increased adrenaline levels (efforts, stress) pigs, cows: similar results Terlouw & Rybarczyk, 2008; Bourguet et al., 2010

18 Absence Meat quality d apports : longissimus Tenderness score More tender 80 Normand cows Less tender 20 0 r=-0.71; p= Heart rate 10 min before slaughter (bpm) The lower the stress (low heart rate) the more tender is the meat Terlouw et al., 2014

19 Reducing stress at slaughter: Why? Stress: Perception of threat (real or imagined) Presence of negative emotions Reduced animal welfare Physiological and behavioural responses Security problems Reduced meat quality

20 Reducing stress at slaughter How? Evaluation of animal welfare UMR1213 Herbivores A G R I C U L T U R E A L I M E N T A T I O N E N V I R O N N E M E N T

21 Evaluation of animal welfare in abattoirs Temple Grandin: you can manage what you measure

22 Evaluation of animal welfare in abattoirs Temple Grandin (Boston, 1947) First edition: Grandin Livestock Handling Systems 1989 PhD in Animal Science 1991 Document: Handling guide for abattoirs Public pressure/requests of the American Meat Institute and the USDA 1996 Start of external abattoir audits 1997 Document: Definition of criteria for the numerical evaluation of animal welfare in abattoirs Restaurants start auditing their abattoirs Abattoirs start self-evaluations 1994 Greenpeace-McDonald s Animal Welfare trial 1999 McDonald s excludes an abattoir

23 Reducing stress at slaughter How? Practical solutions UMR1213 Herbivores A G R I C U L T U R E A L I M E N T A T I O N E N V I R O N N E M E N T

24 Practical solutions in abattoirs Adaptation to animal behaviour & perception

25 cattle drive 1956 Practical solutions in abattoirs Cattle make a circular movement Cattle corridors should be curved

26 Practical solutions in abattoirs Curved alleys, round crowd pens and solid sides: Cattle can go back into the direction they came from Cattle do not see people at the end of the chute Avoid:! - overloading - squeezing cattle - distractions

27 Practical solutions in abattoirs 1! 2 They should be designed correctly: Wrong: Dead ended 3

28 Practical solutions in abattoirs Design of Curved Cattle Corrals, Yards, Races, and Chutes (85 s) Cattle Handling Facility Design for Meat Plants (60 s) Cattle handling pen (57s)

29 Practical solutions in abattoirs Cattle Handling in Crowd Pens (55s)

30 Practical solutions in abattoirs Flight zone Point of balance A biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry. With Claire Danes. Biopic Temple Grandin : cattle dip (1min44s)

31 HOME ABOUT US RANCH CORRALS FEEDYARD SYSTEMS SLAUGHTER PLANTS CONSTRUCTION DETAILS LAYOUT EXAMPLES

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