I European Commission Directorate General for Health and Consumers Study and economic analysis of the costs and benefits of ending surgical castration of pigs Framework Contract for evaluation and evaluation related services - Lot 3: Food Chain Final Report Part 2 Country studies Submitted by: Food Chain Evaluation Consortium (FCEC) Civic Consulting - Agra CEAS Consulting - Van Dijk Management Consultants - Arcadia International Project Leader: Civic Consulting European Commission DG SANCO Rue de la Loi 200 1049 Brussels 02.12.2013
Contact for this assignment: Dr Frank Alleweldt Civic Consulting Study and economic analysis of the costs and benefits of ending surgical castration of pigs Final Report Part 2 Country studies Prepared by the Food Chain Evaluation Consortium (FCEC) Civic Consulting Agra CEAS Consulting Van Dijk Management Consultants Arcadia International Project Leader: Civic Consulting Food Chain Evaluation Consortium c/o Civic Consulting Potsdamer Strasse 150 D-10783 Berlin-Germany Telephone: +49-30-2196-2297 Fax: +49-30-2196-2298 E-mail: alleweldt@civic-consulting.de
Expert Team Civic Consulting: Dr Frank Alleweldt (Project director) Dr Senda Kara Rémi Béteille Dr Kees de Roest Prof. Richard Bennett Dr Philip Cain Prof. Ludwig Theuvsen Prof. Eberhard H. von Borell Prof. José Gil Dr. Hanne Maribo Dr. Armelle Prunier Agra CEAS Consulting: Conrad Caspari John Nganga Maria Garrone Arcadia International: Daniel Traon fcec Food Chain Evaluation Consortium Civic Consulting Agra CEAS Consulting Van Dijk Management Consultants Arcadia International
Content 1. AUSTRIA 5 2. BELGIUM 10 3. DENMARK 23 4. FRANCE 31 5. GERMANY 39 6. ITALY 54 7. NETHERLANDS 60 8. POLAND 70 9. SPAIN 74 10. UNITED KINDOM 85 Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 4
1. Austria Austria a) Uptake of the European Declaration on alternatives to surgical castration of pigs The Austrian Association of Pig Producers is not directly a member of COPA but agree with the position of COPA regarding the European declaration on surgical castration. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture is a member of COPA (and has endorsed the Declaration signed by COPA). Due to the relatively high slaughtering, costs the production and slaughtering process is geared to maximise meat yield per carcass and this keeps unit costs down as well as optimising the lean meat proportion within this. This has been facilitated by having a breeding programme largely based on the Piétrain breed as terminal breed. Austria achieves a relatively high average lean meat yield of 61% and has an average meat cut-out ratio of 81%. Austria has pursued a policy of surgical castration for 100% of its male animals (apart from breeding stock) for many decades. Therefore there is no boar taint issue in the market and consequently no demand for semen selected for lower boar taint prevalence. While all male pigs have traditionally been surgically castrated prior to seven days of age, the major change which has occurred since 1 January 2011 is that all producers that are members of the Verband Österreichischer Schweinebauern (VÖS Austrian Pig Producers Association) and produce in accordance with the Agrarmarkt Austria (AMA) quality assurance scheme (AMA Gütesiegel like QS in Germany) have voluntarily agreed to conduct castration with analgesia. This is now compulsory for all producers within the scheme covering approximately 95% of all Austrian production. Generally only very small producers surgically castrate without the use of analgesia. 1 The requirement to castrate with analgesia followed on from the Vienna Declaration which brought together the entire production chain and resulted in a formal voluntary interprofessional agreement. 2 This is reinforced by the fact that the two largest food retailers in Austria, which together account for some 66% of fresh meat sales require adherence to this standard from their suppliers. The agreement followed on from a period of intensive stakeholder discussions, review of existing research as well as consideration of alternatives to surgical castration. It required verification that the medications concerned were suitable for this purpose. b) Current use of the two alternatives to surgical castration of male pigs Estimated number of male pigs raised in 2012: 2.5 million 3 Estimated number of male pigs surgically castrated in 2012 (% of male pigs population): 100% 4 Of which: Before 7 days of age: 100% 1 Austria has a small scale production structure and the number of animals held will generally range between 10-200 animals with the average being 80 animals per producer. 2 Other requirements of this agreement are that: castration should occur on the 7th day at the latest (ideally on 3rd day combined with iron and other vaccinations); the analgesia must be allowed to work at least 20 min before castration; producers have to confirm acceptance of the guidelines, drugs delivered must relate to the number of animals sold; statements accompanying delivery certificates are independently controlled (e.g. by AMA, controllers authorised by producer associations and retailers). 3 Estimate based on data provided by the UECBV 4 As all male animals are surgically castrated the only males which may have boar taint are crytporchids (with one or both testes absent from the scrotum, 0.003%-0.005% of animals slaughtered) which will be detected at slaughter. The meat from such animals will be taken to the laboratory and heated to test for boar taint. Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 5
After 7 days of age: 0% Estimated number of entire male pigs in 2012 (% of male pigs population): 0% Estimated number of male pigs vaccinated against boar taint in 2012 (% of male pigs population): c) Costs and benefits of producing pig meat according to the production options currently used Estimated number of males pigs slaughtered in 2012: 2.5 million 3 Estimated current average final live weight at slaughter (in kg): 0% 123 kg Average carcass weight (in kg): 96 kg 3 d) Option 1: Production of pig meat from surgically castrated male pigs Pig breeding No relevant cost/benefit for this option Pig growing Male pigs surgically castrated with or without the use of analgesia and/or anaesthesia Most common age of the pig at castration (in days) Estimated number of male pigs surgically castrated without the use of analgesia or anaesthesia (% of male pigs castrated before 7 days of age): Estimated number of male pigs surgically castrated with the use of analgesia (only) (% of male pigs castrated before 7 days of age): 5 days 5% 95% Estimated number of male pigs surgically castrated with the use of anaesthesia (only) (% of male pigs castrated before 7 days of age): 0% Estimated number of male pigs surgically castrated before 7 days of age with the use of both analgesia and anaesthesia (% of male pigs castrated before 7 days of age): 0% Workload in carrying out castration Estimated time to castrate a pig (in seconds per pig): (Excluding time to catch and handle the pig and time to administer an eventual treatment against pain - analgesia/anaesthesia): 20s Estimated time to catch and handle the pig (in seconds per pig): 20s Share of castrations done by a farmer: 100% Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 6
Medicines and visits of veterinarian Mortality rate Potential additional costs (in /pig): Expenses for medicines and visits by the veterinarian (other than related to the use of analgesia and anaesthesia): Veterinarians are not used for surgical castration on any form Mortality rate of surgically castrated pigs compared to entire and vaccinated male pigs: *It is felt that there are no significant differences in mortality rates. It was also considered that mortality rates could be slightly higher in entire male pigs than in vaccinated male pigs as entire male pigs are more aggressive. Animal welfare The stakeholders in Austria have come to the uniform view that there is no suitable alternative to the surgical castration of male pigs but that doing this with analgesia is optimal in terms of animal welfare particularly since it avoids the issue of aggression which arises in the production of entire male pigs. 0%* Environmental impact It is thought that there are better feed conversion ratios for entire males than for surgically castrated males. Therefore, surgically castrated animals are considered to have a higher environmental impact. Slaughtering Price received by slaughterhouse from processor for the carcass Price received (in /kg): Processing No relevant cost/benefit for this option Retail Information to consumers on approach to pig castration used Stakeholders interviewed agreed that hardly any consumers know that male pigs are castrated in order to avoid boar taint in pig meat. Consumption Quality of pig meat Price of pig meat for consumers Stakeholders considered that there are no quality differences between vaccinated and surgically castrated pigs but that the meat from entire male pigs may be found to be of poorer quality (higher level of aggressiveness and fighting amongst entire males might lead to poorer meat quality). The differences in quality can depend on the breeding lines used. For example, Piétrain is the breed that is the most commonly used as terminal sire line by pig farmers in Austria and male pigs from this breed carry a high proportion of lean meat to fat. As only one type of meat from surgically castrated animals is sold there are no price differences to be observed. Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 7
Sub-option 1a: Surgical castration of male piglets less than 7 days old is performed without anaesthesia or analgesia This option is used by a small percentage of farmers (10-15%; who raise about 5% of male pigs in Austria) who are not members of the Austrian pig producers association and thus do not produce in accordance with the quality standards members of this organisation adhere to. These are generally very small producers who in most cases will not place their production on the market. Sub-option 1b: Surgical castration of male pigs at any age is performed with analgesia and/or anaesthesia Pig breeding See above Pig growing Use of analgesia (when relevant) Slaughtering See above Processing Retail Most common analgesic used: Metacam 5 Estimated price of this analgesic (in Eurocent per pig): 0.02-0.03 6 Estimated share of analgesias performed on male pigs less than 7 days old by a veterinarian: *All surgical castrations are performed by farmers. 7 No relevant cost/benefit for this option See above Consumption See above e) Option 2: Production of pig meat from entire male pigs This option is currently not used in Austria. According to stakeholders interviewed, entire male pigs are considered more aggressive (after they reach sexual maturity) than immuno- and surgically castrated male pigs. Entire male pigs may have more skin lesions and broken legs. Stakeholders in Austria indicated that electronic noses to detect boar taint are not used, product quality would be put at risk via the use of entire animals (due to higher aggression), sexes would need to be segregated leading to increased costs and attempts to remove boar taint via genetics have not proven successful. f) Option 3: Production of pig meat from vaccinated male pigs against boar taint This option is currently not used in Austria. 0%* 5 The medications which may be used are: Finadyne (0.15 ml per piglet); Melovem (0.25 ml per piglet); Metacam (0.25 ml per piglet). 6 The range is due to the fact that larger purchases are likely to be discounted substantially and cost will therefore vary according to farm size 7 The administering of the analgesic is entirely undertaken by the producer and the producers must be registered with the official veterinary service, they must receive training on how to apply the medication, how to maintain low stress levels for the animals, how to maintain adequate signed notes on the date of castration, type of medication and volume used, number of animals treated as well as integrating the procedure into their standard routines. Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 8
g) Outlook by stakeholders In the process of deciding on the option of surgical castration with analgesia, the Austrian stakeholders considered the options of anaesthesia, immunocastration, a possible anaesthetic spray called Eisspray as well as raising entire pigs. However, they considered these all inappropriate either because they were not well adapted to Austrian smaller scale conditions, were not suitably functional (e.g. healing did not improve with Eisspray) or would lead to quality problems (because of skin lesions caused by higher level of aggression among entire pigs). Raising entire male pigs and slaughtering them at lower weight (80-85 kg) would be economically catastrophic according to the stakeholders interviewed as it would significantly raise the unit cost of production in a sector which is relatively small scale. This would mean separating sexes which would raise unit costs of production. Therefore, from the Austrian perspective, there are no incentives for changing to another production system in this regard. The single most important reason why immunocastration was not chosen as a method for controlling boar taint in Austria was the strong concern about possible consumer reactions to the use of the vaccine against boar taint. It was also noted that Wiener Schnitzel is the national dish and no risks can be taken with this, hence castration with analgesia is considered to be the optimal solution by stakeholders in Austria. Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 9
2. Belgium Belgium a) Uptake of the European Declaration on alternatives to surgical castration of pigs Upon invitation of the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) and the European Commission, a working group involving representatives from European farmers, the meat industry, retailers, scientists, veterinarians and animal welfare NGOs met several times in 2010 in Brussels to discuss the issue of pig castration and its possible alternatives, and to consider the possibilities to end this practice. In December 2011, members of this working group endorsed the European Declaration on alternatives to surgical castration of pigs. 8 Several Belgian organisations were involved in these discussions, including the Belgian meat industry federation ( Fédération Belge de la Viande FEBEV ) and the farmers organisation Boerenbond. These organisations have endorsed the European Declaration on alternatives to surgical castration of pigs (signed by their representative organisations at the EU level, UECBV and Copa-Cogeca, respectively). A collaboration platform has been set up in 2007 in Belgium to discuss issues related to the castration of male pigs and its alternatives. This platform involves the main actors of the Belgian pig meat chain, including Algemeen Boerensyndicaat (ABS), Boerenbond, Fédération Wallonne de l'agriculture (FWA), Fédération nationale des fabricants de produits et conserves de viandes (FENAVIAN), and FEBEV (Fédération Belge de la Viande). In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding to end the surgical castration of male pigs in 2018 has been recently signed by several Belgian organisations, including the Association professionnelle des fabricants d aliments composés pour animaux APFACA (association of feed manufacturers), Fédération de l industrie alimentaire FEVIA (association representing the interests of the food industry), Fédération Belge de la Viande FEBEV (association of slaughterhouses), Fédération Belge des Fabricants de Produits de Viandes FENAVIAN (association of meat processors) and Comeos (association of retailers). However, five farmer organisations ( Association wallonne des éleveurs de porcs AWEP, Coprosain, Porcs Qualité Ardenne, Filière porc du pays de Herve, and Fédération unie de groupements d éleveurs et d agriculteurs ) expressed concerns regarding the use of vaccines against boar taint as an alternative to surgical castration of male pigs because of the additional costs involved for farmers and the potential risks for human health. 9 According to the Belgian legislation, the surgical castration of pigs after 7 days of age without the use of anaesthesia is not allowed. Only veterinarians are allowed to administer anaesthetics in Belgium 10, anaesthesia for the surgical castration of male pigs is not used in practice in this country. The production of male pigs vaccinated against this taint started about three years ago as a result of the advocacy work on pig castration conducted by GAIA, a Belgian animal welfare organisation. In 2010, one of the main supermarket chains in Belgium decided to stop selling pig meat from surgically castrated male pigs and to replace this with meat sourced from vaccinated male pigs. 11 Since then, other supermarket chains have also chosen to stop selling meat from surgically castrated male pigs and others have committed to do so by the end of 2013. Today, almost all supermarket chains in Belgium have decided to stop selling pig meat from surgically castrated male pigs. Several of these retailers do not specifically request pig meat from one of the two alternative pig meat production options (i.e. pig meat sourced from entire 8 http://www.alternativepig.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/declaration/castration_pigs_declaration_en.pdf 9 http://www.lavenir.net/article/detail.aspx?articleid=dmf20130502_00304672 10 Royal Decree of 17 May 2001 on the authorised interventions in vertebrates. 11 See: http://www.alternativepig.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/flash%20pig%20castration%20fr.pdf Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 10
or immunocastrated male pigs). They leave this decision up to the suppliers to deliver pig meat from any of these two sources. 12 In addition, GAIA is continuing its advocacy work regarding pig castration, which now focuses on the buyers of pig meat (such as chains of restaurants), and is also working on a legal ban on the surgical castration of male pigs. Only a small proportion (about 1%-2%, according to a representative of a farmers organisation) of the male pigs raised in Belgium are raised as entire male pigs. This relatively low percentage, compared to the share of immunocastrated male pigs, may be linked to the concerns that are often expressed by the stakeholders interviewed concerning the reliability of the human nose method to identify carcasses of entire males with boar taint on the slaughter line. In contrast, when adequately administered by farmers (i.e. by following the recommendations of the manufacturer concerning the timing of each injection), the vaccination against boar taint is believed to be a very reliable tool to avoid boar taint in pig meat according to stakeholders in Belgium. Stakeholders interviewed also indicated that the effectiveness of this vaccination can also be easily controlled on the slaughter line by checking the size of the testes (i.e. if the size of the testes of an immunocastrated male pig is not reduced to the size compared to the testes of an entire male pig, this indicates that the vaccination against boar taint has not been effective or not applied adequately by the farmer). According to the manufacturer of the vaccine against boar taint, pork from vaccinated boars is completely safe for human consumption. Similar to most vaccines, the vaccine against boar taint leaves no traces in pork that can affect human health. The vaccine is not a hormone or a chemical and it contains no genetically modified components (GMOs) or microbiological agents. 13 Although some stakeholders have expressed concerns regarding potential consequences for human health (see above the view of five Walloon farmers organisations), the stakeholders interviewed did not challenge this statement and considered that the use of the vaccine against boar taint for pig meat production was safe for human health. However, stakeholders interviewed from the meat industry and the pig production sector expressed concerns regarding the reaction of consumers if they knew that male pigs were vaccinated against boar taint. Several stakeholders considered that consumers may mistakenly confuse this vaccine with the use of hormones, fear consequences on their fertility, and as a consequence may prefer not to consume meat from immunocastrated male pigs. The experience of one large supermarket chain in Belgium would suggest that the concerns of the pig meat industry and pig producers might be unfounded. When this supermarket chain decided to refrain from selling pig meat from surgically castrated male pigs, it informed its consumers that this meat will be replaced by meat sourced from immunocastrated male pigs. Information was provided to consumers through a press release, an information sheet included in a promotion folder, and a video in the stores. This supermarket chain stated that it received almost no reactions from [ ] consumers concerning its decision to source its pig meat from immunocastrated male pigs and that reactions [ ] are mainly positive because of the measures for animal welfare. 14 Consequences for marketing meat from immunocastrated male pigs on export markets were other concerns raised by stakeholders in Belgium. Several stakeholders indicated that meat sourced from these pigs would not be accepted by countries importing pig meat produced in Belgium. Concerns related to the risk of accidental self-injections of the vaccine against boar taint are often expressed by farmers, according to the stakeholders interviewed. However, a representative of a farmer s organisation indicated that these fears usually disappear quickly when farmers start using it in their farms. Indeed, the 12 See: http://boars2018.com/2013/04/cora-stops-with-selling-meat-from-castrated-piglets/; http://www.gaia.be/nl/nieuws/geen-castratie-meer-voor-half-miljoen-biggen; http://www.pigprogress.net/home/general/2012/8/retailer-delhaize-no-more-pork-from-physically-castratedmales-pp009135w/; http://boars2018.com/2013/05/champion-stops-selling-meat-from-castrated-pigs/ 13 http://www.boartaint.com/display.aspx?sec=faq 14 See: http://www.colruyt.be/colruyt/static/1024/persberichten/ pers_30_06_10_f.htm?keepthis=true&tb_iframe=true&height=475&width=555 ; http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/welfare/seminars/docs/selling_pork_non_surgically_castrated_pig_males_en. pdf Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 11
vaccine is applied with a specific injector with advanced safety features making it very difficult for farmers to accidently inject themself with the vaccine. The rest of the male pigs (85-95%) raised in Belgium are surgically castrated with the use of analgesia before 7 days of age. About 60% of the pig meat produced in Belgium is exported. According to the information provided by the Belgian meat industry, this meat is sourced from surgically castrated male pigs (i.e. the meat from carcasses of entire and immunocastrated male pigs is usually intended for the Belgian domestic market and is not exported). b) Current use of the two alternatives to surgical castration of male pigs Estimated number of male pigs raised in 2012: 5.5 million 15 Estimated number of male pigs surgically castrated in 2012 (% of male pigs population): 85-90% Of which: Before 7 days of age: 85-90% After 7 days of age: 0% 16 Estimated number of entire male pigs in 2012 (% of male pigs population): 1-2% Estimated number of male pigs vaccinated against boar taint in 2012 (% of male pigs population): 8-10% c) Costs and benefits of producing pig meat according to the production options currently used Estimated number of males pigs slaughtered in 2012: 5.5 million 8 Estimated current average final live weight at slaughter (in kg): 115 kg Average carcass weight (in kg): 94 kg 8 d) Option 1: Production of pig meat from surgically castrated male pigs Pig breeding No relevant cost/benefit for this option Pig growing Male pigs surgically castrated with or without the use of analgesia and/or anaesthesia Most common age of the pig at castration (in days) Estimated number of male pigs surgically castrated without the use of analgesia or anaesthesia (% of male pigs castrated before 7 days of age): 3 days 0% Estimated number of male pigs surgically castrated with the use of analgesia (only) (% of male pigs castrated before 7 days of age): 100% Estimated number of male surgically castrated with the use of anaesthesia (only) (% of male pigs castrated before 7 days of age): 0% 15 Estimate based on data provided by the UECBV 16 According to the Belgian legislation, surgical castration of male pigs after 7 days of age is not allowed without the use anaesthesia (which can only be applied by a veterinarian). Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 12
Workload in carrying out castration Estimated number of male surgically castrated before 7 days of age with the use of both analgesia and anaesthesia (% of male pigs castrated before 7 days of age): Estimated time to castrate a pig (in seconds per pig): (Excluding time to catch and handle the pig and time to administer an eventual treatment against pain - analgesia/anaesthesia) Estimated time to catch and handle the pig (in seconds per pig): 0% 5-30s 5-20s Share of castrations done by a farmer: 100% Medicines and visits of veterinarian Mortality rate Animal welfare Environmental impact Potential additional costs (in /pig): 0 Expenses for medicines and visits by the veterinarian (other than related to the use of analgesia and anaesthesia): According to the stakeholders interviewed, expenses for medicines and visits by the veterinarian (other than related to the use of analgesia and anaesthesia) are similar for surgically castrated, entire and vaccinated male pigs against boar taint. Mortality rate of surgically castrated pigs compared to entire and vaccinated male pigs: A representative of a farmer s organisation considered that there are no significant differences in mortality rates. Mortality is higher (by less than 1%) for castrates than for entire and vaccinated male pigs. It was also considered that mortality rates could be slightly higher in entire male pigs compared to vaccinated male pigs as entire male pigs are more aggressive. + <1% The stakeholders interviewed considered that the best alternative to the surgical castration of male pigs in terms of animal welfare is to raise entire male pigs. However, this may depend on the level of aggression among entire male pigs in farms that may choose this alternative to surgical castration. Differences in levels of aggression between farms was said to depend on management differences. Farms that switch from the production of surgically castrated male pigs to entire male pigs may need to try new methods and approaches to reduce the level of aggression among entire males. If aggression is high and cannot be reduced, farmers may prefer to vaccinate male pigs against boar taint. Because of better feed conversion ratios, there is less excretion of nutrients in the manure related to the production of entire and immunocastrated male pigs, compared to surgically castrated male pigs. According to information provided by the manufacturer of the vaccine, for a pig of about 111 kg live weight, the use of the vaccine against boar taint reduces the carbon footprint by about 23 kg CO 2 e (carbon dioxide equivalent, a standard unit for measuring carbon footprints) compared to the carbon footprint related to the production of a surgically castrated male pig. The estimated reduction in carbon footprint is 3.7% on a live Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 13
weight basis, which corresponds to a reduction of about 5% on a one kg of lean meat basis. 17 Price received by farmer from slaughterhouse for the carcass Slaughtering Price received by slaughterhouse from processor for the carcass Processing Retail Price received (in /kg): No relevant cost/benefit for this option Information to consumers on approach to pig castration used Consumption Quality of pig meat Price of pig meat for consumers According to the information collected, farmers receive about 0.01-0.02 less per kilogramme of carcasses for surgically castrated male pigs compared to the price received for carcasses of entire male pigs. No data Stakeholders interviewed agreed that many consumers do not know that male pigs may be castrated to avoid boar taint in pig meat. Stakeholders were of the opinion that most consumers are not able to associate boar taint with the issue of pig castration and instead may think that the shelf life of the product has expired. Stakeholders considered that the quality of the meat from carcasses of vaccinated male pigs is very close to that of castrates. The meat from entire male pigs may be found to be drier, less juicy and tougher by consumers. The differences in quality can depend on the breeding lines used. For example, Piétrain is the breed that is most commonly used as terminal sire line by pig farmers in Belgium and male pigs from this breed carry a high proportion of lean meat to fat. Meat from carcasses of entire male pigs from this breed may therefore be found by consumers to be drier compared to the meat from the other two production options (carcasses of entire male pigs contain less fat compared to those of surgically castrated and vaccinated male pigs). A representative of the pig meat industry indicated that consumers in Belgium prefer tender pig meat with no fat. This representative suggested that consumers want meat products of the same quality each time they purchase them. In case they are not satisfied with the quality of the product, they may change retailer or simply stop consuming this type of product. All stakeholders interviewed agreed that no price differences between pig meat sourced from the three types of male pigs has been observed. 17 http://www.environdec.com/pagefiles/901/environmental%20product%20declaration%20for%20improvac%2 0-%20Joe%20Robinson%20Pfizer.pdf Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 14
Sub-option 1a: Surgical castration of male piglets less than 7 days old is performed without anaesthesia or analgesia This option is not used in Belgium. Sub-option 1b: Surgical castration of male pigs at any age is performed with analgesia and/or anaesthesia Pig breeding See above Pig growing Use of analgesia (when relevant) Most common analgesic used: Metacam/Melovem Estimated price of analgesic (in Euro per pig): 0.03-0.05 Use of anaesthesia Slaughtering See above Estimated share of analgesias performed on male pigs less than 7 days old by a veterinarian: Cost of veterinarian when administering the analgesia: Estimated additional time needed to administer the analgesia, in comparison to a castration without analgesia (and anaesthesia) (in seconds per pig): *This includes the total amount of additional time needed to administer the analgesia: i.e. the piglet is caught for the first time, administered the analgesic, and put back in a box; about 20 minutes later (when the analgesia is effective), the piglet is caught a second time and castrated. In practice, anaesthesia is not used for the castration of male pigs in Belgium. 0% (all surgical castrations are done by farmers) Not applicable 10-20s* Processing No relevant cost/benefit for this option Retail See above Consumption See above e) Option 2: Production of pig meat from entire male pigs Pig breeding Genetic selection Availability of semen from selected breeding boars with lower boar taint prevalence: This type of semen is commercially available, but its use is very limited. According to the information provided by a representative of a farmers organisation, this type of semen would be slightly more expensive. However, the small additional cost per piglet was not perceived to hinder its use, but rather the fact that it does not allow to fully eliminate the risk of boar taint in carcasses of entire male pigs. This representative noted that the only information available on these types of semen is commercial information and that there are no results from independent scientific research concerning their effect on boar taint prevalence. The number of entire males currently raised in Belgium is very low (about Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 15
Pig growing Animal welfare See above Impact of injuries on yield Environmental impact 1-2% of the total number of the male pigs raised in the country; i.e. about 55,000 animals in 2012). Incentives to reduce the number of carcasses with boar taint on the slaughter line may therefore have been limited. However, if the number of entire males significantly increases in the future, the number of carcasses with boar taint could also increase significantly (assuming that the percentage of carcasses detected with sexual odour on the slaughter line remains constant). In this case, as it might be difficult to find a commercial use for all carcasses with boar taint, semen from selected breeding boars which decreases the risk of boar taint in their progeny could be one of the solutions in reducing the number of tainted carcasses. Note: Most farms in Belgium use the Belgian Piétrain breed as terminal sire line. Carcasses of entire male pigs from this breed are considered to be less likely to have boar taint, compared to other breeds such as Duroc. This lower boar taint prevalence can be explained by the extremely high lean meat percentage. However, there was no specific selection against boar taint in this breed. Share of piglets produced by using such semen (excl. Piétrain): <1% Entire male pigs are more aggressive (after they reach sexual maturity) than immuno- and surgically castrated male pigs. Entire male pigs may have more skin lesions and broken legs. There is less excretion of nutrients in the manure for vaccinated and entire male pigs, compared to castrated male pigs. Price received by farmer from slaughterhouse for the carcass Price received/price difference compared to the price received for the carcass of a surgically castrated male pig (in /kg): The production of entire male pigs is driven by the demand of the market. As a result of the increasing demand for these pigs from retailers, slaughterhouses have concluded agreements with farmers to deliver entire male pigs. In the framework of these agreements, no price reduction is applied to the price of the carcasses of these pigs (which could be applied by slaughterhouses to compensate the cost of detection of carcasses of entire males with boar taint on the slaughter line), assuming that the carcasses are not tainted. According to a representative of a farmers organisation in Belgium, pig farmers would actually receive 1-2 Eurocent more per kg of carcass from an entire male pig, compared to surgically castrated male pigs. This is because slaughterhouses use a classification system based Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 16
on lean meat percentage and conformation of the carcasses of castrated male pigs (the only system currently available) to price the carcasses of entire male pigs. Carcasses of entire male pigs are leaner compared to those of surgically castrated male pigs and therefore get a higher price (per kg of carcass). However, if boar taint is detected in the carcass of an entire male pig, a deduction of 12.50 Euro is applied to the price of the carcass. However, a representative of a farmer s organisation expressed his concern about the possibility that Belgian slaughterhouses may pay less for carcasses of entire male pigs in the future. This price reduction might be implemented by slaughterhouses to reflect the different conformation of the carcasses of these pigs compared to those of surgically castrated male pigs, especially if the share of entire and vaccinated male pigs raised in Belgium increase significantly. The different types of male pigs develop muscles and fat in different proportions at different zones of the carcasses. For example, hams from surgically castrated male pigs are bigger (and have more fat) than those from entire male pigs (while the size of the hams from vaccinated male pigs is comprised between those of entire and surgically castrated male pigs). However, a stakeholder also indicated that immunocastration may help to improve the conformation of carcasses (compared to those of entire male pigs). However, according to a representative of the pig meat industry, farms in which carcasses of surgically castrated male pigs already have a good conformation may not see any significant gains concerning this aspect. The conformation of entire male pigs is considered to be more uncertain, according to a stakeholder interviewed in Belgium (compared to vaccinated male pigs and surgically castrated male pigs). In Belgium, discussions are taking place concerning a possible adaptation of the formula to price carcasses of male pigs which would also take into consideration the characteristics of the entire and immunocastrated male pigs. A representative of a farmers organisation in Belgium indicated that if farmers do not manage to reduce the incidence of boar taint in carcasses of entire male pigs to relatively low levels (less than 5%), for example by improving management methods, they may prefer to vaccinate their entire male pigs instead. Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 17
Slaughtering Yield related to weight at slaughter To reduce the level of aggression and the risk of lesions in carcasses of entire male pigs, a Belgian pig farmer indicated that entire males are slaughtered at a lower live weight (105kg). Screening of carcasses to detect of boar taint If relevant, estimated share of carcasses of entire male pigs which were screened in 2012: If relevant, estimated percentage of carcasses of entire male pigs for which boar taint was detected on the slaughter line in 2012 (of those that were screened): 100% 3-5% Use of the human nose method to detect boar taint All carcasses of entire males pigs are screened for boar taint on the slaughter line with the use of the human nose method but these carcasses represent only a small percentage of the male pigs slaughtered in Belgium (1-2%) of males pigs slaughtered in this country. Several stakeholders interviewed expressed some concerns regarding the reliability of the human nose method to identify carcasses with unpleasant sexual odour on the slaughter line. Estimated time spent by an operator to screen a carcass (in seconds): Depends on line speed (if 300 carcasses per hour, 12 s per carcass) Use/development of other detection method Removing testes Information reported by stakeholders on alternatives to the human nose method being tested or envisaged to be tested: None of the stakeholders were aware of other methods being tested in Belgium. Estimated time spent by an operator to cut off the testes of entire male pigs and vaccinated male pigs (in seconds per carcass): * Stakeholders indicated that it takes between 10 and 12 seconds to perform this task. 10 to 12s* Information reported by stakeholders on the evolution of the costs of the detection of boar taint on the slaughter line in the next five years: The method used by Belgian slaughterhouses to identify carcasses with boar taint is the method of the human nose. The use of this method has not required slaughterhouses to employ additional operators so far because of the limited number of carcasses of entire males to be screened. Indeed, the number of entire male pigs slaughtered in Belgium remains limited (about 1-2% of male pigs slaughtered in this country, i.e. 55,000 animals in 2012). Slaughtering of entire males can therefore be concentrated on short amounts of time: one stakeholder considered that when entire males are delivered to a Belgian slaughterhouse, they can usually all be slaughtered within half an hour. According to the information collected, if the slaughter line speed is 600 carcasses per hour, two boar taint assessors are needed (each operator screens 300 carcasses per hour, i.e. an assessor screens a carcass in 12 seconds). Transport This cost type is not relevant according to stakeholders interviewed. Price received by slaughterhouse from processor for the carcass No data Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 18
Processing Retail Use of carcasses with boar taint Information to consumers on approach to pig castration used Today, given the very limited number of carcasses of entire males with boar taint which have to be processed by the meat industry in Belgium (between 8,250 and 13,750, i.e. between 0.17% and 0.28% of the male pigs slaughtered in this country in 2012), the use of these carcasses are not considered to be a problem by the Belgian pig meat industry. Pig meat with boar taint can be used by the meat processing industry and does not create additional costs. For example, this tainted meat can be used for meat which is usually not cooked before being consumed (e.g. salami). However, if the number of entire male pigs slaughtered in Belgium increases significantly in the future (and if the percentage of tainted carcasses remains the same), commercial uses for all tainted carcasses will have to be found. For products for which tainted pig meat can be mixed with untainted meat or with spices and flavours, the level of boar taint which may not be detected (or accepted ) by consumers remains unknown. It may vary significantly between consumers in different country but also within consumers in the same country. See above. Consumer complaints about presence of boar taint in pig meat Consumption Quality of pig meat Price of pig meat for consumers According to the information provided by a representative of the pig meat industry, consumer complaints about the presence of boar taint in pig meat are rare. See above. See above. f) Option 3: Production of pig meat from vaccinated male pigs against boar taint Pig breeding No relevant cost/benefit for this option Pig growing Use of vaccine Estimated percentage of vaccines against boar taint administered by a veterinarian: *These vaccines are administered by farmers, often after initial training by a veterinarian, who may be a staff member of the manufacturer of the vaccine. Estimated time to administer one injection of the vaccine, excluding time to catch and handle the pig (in seconds per injection per pig): Estimated time to catch and handle the pig (in seconds per pig): The time indicated in the total time to administer 0%* 5s 20-30s Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 19
Animal welfare Environmental impact Price received by farmer from slaughterhouse for the carcass one injection. This includes the amount of time needed by the farmer to identify the male pigs among the females in the pen, to do the injection and to finally mark the male pig once the vaccine is applied. Usually, the farmer goes into the pen to administer the injection. In Belgium, male and female pigs are raised in mixed groups in most farms (for sanitary reasons, it may be preferred to raise pigs born from the same sow together). Price of vaccine (in /injection): As the vaccination is reversible (i.e. it temporarily inhibits testes function and its effects disappear about 10 weeks after the second injection which is usually done four to six weeks before slaughter), the vaccine may pose a problem of effectiveness in case the delivery of the male pigs vaccinated against boar taint to the slaughterhouse is postponed. 1.5 to 1.75/injection Male pigs vaccinated against boar taint receive two injections and this creates stress for the animals. They may struggle, creating risks of injuries and fractures. See above. Price received/price difference compared to the price received for the carcass of a surgically castrated male pig (in /kg): Slaughtering If relevant, screening of carcasses to detect of boar taint If relevant, estimated share of carcasses of male pigs vaccinated against boar taint which were screened in 2012: The effectiveness of the vaccination against boar taint can be controlled on the slaughter line by checking the size of the testes (i.e. if the size of the testes of an immunocastrated male pig is similar to those of an entire male pig, this indicates that the vaccination against boar taint has not been effective or may not have been correctly applied by the farmer). A visual check of the size of the testes is therefore conducted by operators on the slaughter line. In case the testes are too big, the carcass of the immunocastrated pig is tested for boar taint with the use of the human nose method. According to a representative of the meat industry interviewed, the percentage of male pigs for which the vaccination against boar taint is not effective or not properly applied is about 2%. A representative of a farmers organization estimated that this percentage is close to 0% Depends on size of testes Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 20
If relevant, use of the human nose method to detect boar taint If relevant, estimated percentage of carcasses of male pigs vaccinated against boar taint for which boar taint was detected on the slaughter line in 2012 (of those that were screened): If relevant, see above. 0% - 2% See above. Removing testes Other costs Price received by slaughterhouse from processor for the carcass Estimated time spent by an operator to cut off the testes of entire male pigs and vaccinated male pigs (in seconds per carcass): There may be more slaughter waste (testes and bigger intestines) related to the slaughter of entire (+1%) and vaccinated male pigs (+1.5%) compared to surgically castrated male pigs. See above No data Processing Yields According to a representative of the pig meat industry in Belgium, 10% of hams of male pigs vaccinated against boar taint and entire males do not dry correctly because of the lower amount of fat in their carcasses, compared to 2% of hams of surgically castrated male pigs. In other words, processors obtain yields that are 8% higher compared to those using hams from surgically castrated male pigs rather than hams for entire male or immunocastrated male pigs. However, this representative also suggested that it might be possible for processors to adapt their cutting methods (for example, by cutting open the hams from immunocastrated male pigs) in the future to take into consideration the specificities of the pig meat sourced from entire and immunocastrated male pigs. But there is a significant delay (about a year) until the results of trials for new cutting methods are available (as it takes time for the hams to dry). Retail Information to consumers on approach to pig castration used Consumer complaints about presence of boar taint in pig meat See above. See above. Consumption Quality of pig meat Price of pig meat for consumers See above. See above. Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 21
g) Outlook by stakeholders The share of male pigs surgically castrated is likely to continue to decrease slightly in 2013 in Belgium, as a result of the increasing demand of retailers in this country for pig meat from non-surgically castrated male pigs. This share may remain stable in the following years, at least as long as countries importing Belgian pig meat continue to prefer meat from surgically castrated male pigs. About 60% of pig meat produced in Belgium is exported (mostly to Germany). The production option that will be used in the future for this share of the Belgian pig meat production will depend on the demands of retailers in countries importing Belgian pig meat. Stakeholders interviewed were of the opinion that it is likely that the pig meat produced for these countries will continue to be sourced from surgically castrated male pigs. All stakeholders interviewed agreed that the use of analgesia for the castration of male pigs will continue to be used in five years time (but anaesthesia was not considered to be a method likely to be used). As long as no electronic alternative to the human nose method is available to ensure that carcasses of entire males with boar taint are detected on the slaughter line with a level of reliability accepted by all stakeholders in Belgium, the share of entire male pigs is likely to remain the same or only increase slightly, according to the stakeholders interviewed. However, as there is currently no research being done in Belgium on the development of an electronic nose or any other alternative technique to the human nose method for the detection of tainted carcasses, all stakeholders interviewed considered that the human nose method is still very likely to be used in 5 years time. The evolution of the share of entire male pigs produced in Belgium will also depend on whether feeding and management techniques which can easily be applied by farmers to decrease the risk of boar taint in carcasses of entire male pigs are found. Similarly, the results of the research being conducted in the field of genetic selection to develop breeding lines which significantly lowers the risk of boar taint in carcasses of entire male pigs is likely to influence the number of these pigs raised in the future. The Fédération Wallonne de l'agriculture (FWA) indicated that among the 2,000 pig farms located in Wallonia more than 65% have less than 10 pigs. According to this farmer s organisation, when switching to the production of non-surgically castrated male pigs (entire or immunocastrated male pigs) is considered to be too complicated by these small scale farmers, there could be a risk that they stop producing male pigs, and, as a consequence, experience financial difficulties. Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 22
3. Denmark Denmark a) Uptake of the European Declaration on alternatives to surgical castration of pigs The signatories of the European Declaration on alternatives to surgical castration of pigs in Denmark include the Danish Agriculture and Food Council, the Danish Meat Research Institute, and the Danish Animal Welfare Society. 18 According to the Danish legislation, castration of male pigs should be done between 2 and 7 days of age with the use of analgesia (Paragraph 7 of Order 324 of 6 May 2003 on tail docking and castration of animals). 19 In Denmark, it was planned to end surgical castration of male pigs by 2014 but, according to the stakeholders interviewed, this timeframe seems impossible to reach and it appears now more realistic that surgical castration of male pigs will be stopped by 2018, following the timeframe laid down in the European Declaration on alternatives to surgical castration of pigs. Almost all male pigs raised in Denmark are surgically castrated before 7 days of age with the use of analgesia (98-99% of male pigs raised in this country). Only a few male pigs are raised as entire males (1% to 2% of male pigs raised in Denmark, i.e. about 250,000 entire male pigs raised per year). The carcasses of these entire male pigs are screened for boar taint in the slaughterhouse with the use of the skatole method. 20 According to the stakeholders consulted in Denmark, the main reason explaining the low number of entire male pigs slaughtered is the lack of a mutually recognised and accepted detection method to detect boar taint in carcasses of entire male pigs on the slaughter line. In particular, the method of the human nose to detect carcasses with boar taint was not considered to be a reliable method by stakeholders interviewed, so that it could be used to sort out tainted carcasses if entire male pigs were produced at a large scale. All stakeholders consulted in Denmark indicated that a reliable and mutually recognised method for the detection of boar taint in carcasses of entire male pigs on the slaughter line 21 is needed before the share of entire male pigs raised in Denmark can be increased to a significant level. The surgical castration of pigs (with the use of analgesia) was therefore considered to be the only production option that currently best allows to avoid boar taint in meat sourced from male pigs. During the 1990s, the Danish pig industry started to raise and slaughter entire male pigs with the aim of improving animal welfare and realise savings in terms of feed costs. The industry made a major investment in the development of an online system at the slaughterhouse to test for boar taint, linked to the level of skatole detected in the carcases of entire male pigs. However, as this skatole method was not accepted by the German 18 See http://www.alternativepig.eu/partnership/declaration.html 19 Bek. om ændring af bekendtgørelse om halekupering og kastration af dyr. Bekendtgørelse nr. 1471 af 15. dec. 2010. 20 The skatole method is based on the electronic analysis of the level of skatole in samples of back-fat taken from carcasses of entire male pigs. Results are obtained in about 20 minutes after the sample has been taken from the carcass. According to this method, a carcass of an entire male pig is rejected if the content of skatole detected in the sample is above 0.25 ppm. About 4% to 5% of carcasses tested for boar taint with this method are rejected, according to the information available (see http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/welfare/seminars/docs/20100602_7%20susanne%20stoier.pdf). 21 As well as an international agreement on the maximum content of the components of boar taint above which meat cannot be sold as fresh meat. Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 23