Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Slaughterhouses are designed to handle the slaughter of animals on a small to large scale. The slaughter process includes several steps: unloading, lairage, stunning, bleeding, de-hiding, evisceration, splitting, cutting, and packaging of the meat. All slaughterhouses must comply with the animal welfare and food safety legislation. At all Swedish slaughterhouses (except the smallest slaughterhouses for poultry and rabbits) there are official veterinarians (OV), who in Sweden are employed by the Swedish Food Agency (not by the slaughterhouse company), and who supervises and inspects the slaughter process at the slaughterhouse.
This study examines, through a literature review, what duties the official veterinarians have and how/if slaughter in Sweden differs from other European countries.
The results shows that the OV:s work covers both animal welfare, food hygiene and biosecurity. Their main task is to check that the slaughterhouses comply with the animal welfare and hygiene legislation. The OV:s supervise and perform inspections before, during and after slaughter. They also ensure that the meat can be used as food for consumers.
This study also includes a comparison of differences between slaughter in Sweden and in other European countries. The Swedish animal welfare legislation partly goes beyond the EU legislation, in relation to permitted stunning methods and other aspects. The prerequisites for working as an OV in different member states in EU also differs, depending on which country you work as an OV in. The EU legislation must be complied with in all member states and in addition each member state can have national rules that supplement EU legislation. Finally, focus was set on some of the animal welfare problems that can arise in slaughterhouses. Problems can arise in connection with the stunning in slaughterhouses and different stunning methods involves different animal welfare risks. The OV:s work on these animal welfare issues by monitoring the entire slaughter process, including stunning and bleeding, as well as checking that the slaughterhouse complies with the animal welfare legislation in general.
In summary, the official veterinarians have a responsible role in ensuring that the slaughter process takes place in compliance with the legislation. By monitoring and controlling the slaughter at slaughterhouses, the official veterinarians help to maintain a high standard in the food industry. The official veterinarians contribute to protecting public health, promoting animal welfare, and supporting a more sustainable and responsible food industry.