Animal welfare in the U.S. slaughter industry—a focus on fed cattle

Abstract

Animal welfare within the U.S. slaughter industry continues to prevail as one of the top priorities for livestock producers, businesses, and consumers alike. There are federal regulations that enforce the humane transport, handling, and slaughter of cattle. The journey that cattle must make to the slaughter facility is comprised of many environmental and human factors that can positively or negatively affect animal welfare. Cattle may be exposed to multiple stressors, such as noise, unfamiliar animals and humans, temperature extremes, temporary food/water deprivation, variable transport distances and experiences, and new pen conditions. The animal caretakers involved in these processes attempt to minimize stress and discomfort for the animals, but research is needed to focus on the gaps in knowledge and to support the implementation of strategies known to enhance the human–animal interactions that occur from farm to slaughter. This literature review will provide a summary of fed cattle welfare topics, research, and industry tools that span across the beef animal’s journey from the farm/feedlot through the slaughter process. In addition, areas that have had little research focus are identified to highlight the need for future work and development of industry tools. Some of these topics include examining trailer design, the use of trailer slats during weather extremes, the welfare aspects of cattle destined for salvage slaughter, multiple preslaughter factors and interactions, abnormal mobility and nonambulatory cattle, lairage environmental conditions, new stunning methods, and the impact of a well-trained, motivated, and stable workforce on cattle and people welfare. The authors conducted a survey at the 2019 North American Meat Institute Animal Care and Handling Conference, which comprised of stakeholders within the meat packing industry, packing plant employees, and food company employees, educators, and auditors. The survey responses identified training/education and communication as areas of need in animal welfare, whereas the majority of survey responses focused on the aspects of the human–animal interaction as the top challenges for the industry. By continuously identifying, measuring, monitoring, and managing animal welfare challenges within the beef cattle slaughter industry, prioritization and execution of programs and training that improve the welfare of cattle can be achieved as animals move through this final stage of the meat production system.

A Nationwide Survey of Animal Science Students’ Perceptions of Animal Welfare across Different Animal Categories at Institutions in the United States

“…This theme was identified when respondents mentioned the welfare of an animal near the end of its life, including references to slaughter (for agricultural animals) and euthanasia (for dogs or cats and horses or other equids). Considering that producers and consumers of animal-derived proteins increasingly value the welfare of animals in the food production chain [ 76 ], the low frequency of this theme in the qualitative analysis, particularly for the agricultural animal category, was somewhat unexpected. Even though the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) incorporates the condition in which an animal both lives and dies into its definition of animal welfare [ 77 ], other widely accepted definitions of animal welfare emphasize an animal’s welfare during its lifetime rather than at its death.…”

“…Interestingly, the most frequent mention of this theme, while still limited, pertained to agricultural animals. The greater proportion of respondents who mentioned the end-of-life theme for agricultural animals compared to any other category may be the result of respondents associating food animals with death more commonly than for companion animals; slaughter is a critical endpoint for animals in the food production chain [ 76 ] and could have been at the forefront of respondents’ minds when answering this question about food animal species. Additionally, the infrequent occurrence of this theme across all animal categories may be due to the fact that end-of-life considerations are typically sensitive and challenging matters [ 78 , 79 , 80 ], further underlined by the lack of responses discussing the importance of euthanasia or slaughter in the present study.…”

Animal Welfare, Health and the Fight against Climate Change: One Solution for Global Objectives

“…Slaughterhouses have the critical responsibility of ending the lives of animals to produce meat for human consumption while maintaining high standards of animal care [110]. To guarantee appropriate animal handling and management at slaughter plants, proper flooring must be available in animal handling areas, beginning on the trailer, and extending all the way through the restrainers and the lairage facilities [111].…”

Effects of Pre-Slaughter Stress on Meat Characteristics and Consumer Experience

“…The stress animals face prior to slaughter has been under public scrutiny for a long period of time in the U.S. and other parts of the world. Public opinion has been forcing the industry to adopt good management and transport practices, demanding information on the origin of the food and how the animals were raised throughout their productive lives, with a special focus on animal welfare [38]. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the factor(s) that may cause a stress-induced response in finishing animals and how these situations impact the quality of the edible product (i.e., meat) and customer acceptability.…”