Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

In Sweden, home slaughter of cattle is permitted for household consumption, signifying that the animal is slaughtered and butchered on the farm itself. The objective of this case study was to evaluate the use of home slaughter as an alternative to reduce losses of beef at the farm level. To this end, a home slaughter practitioner in southern Sweden was observed over a period of three weeks, during which eight animals were slaughtered and five were butchered. Observations were made on operational practices, resource requirements, meat yields from carcasses and handling of by-products. Samples for microbiological analysis on carcasses and minced meat were also taken. For carcasses total aerobic colony counts and total Enterobacteriaceae were quantified and for minced meat Total aerobic colony counts and total E. coli counts were quantified. In addition to these on-site observations, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the home slaughter practitioner and six farmers who used the service. These interviews focused on their opinions and experiences with home slaughter. The operational practices of home slaughter were found to be an efficient undertaking, with minimal visible contamination of carcasses and minimal losses of meat during butchering. Challenges found by some farmers included finding appropriate hanging solutions for carcasses as well as the greater time commitment as compared to conventional slaughter. The results from the microbiological samples taken on carcasses and minced meat were all found to be acceptable, in accordance with the limits set out in European Council Regulations 2073/2005, which govern microbiological criteria for foodstuffs. This finding suggests that maintaining good slaughter and butchering hygiene is achievable in a home slaughter setting. During interviews, farmers highlighted animal welfare as a primary benefit of home slaughter, emphasising the use of calm stunning and killing in a familiar environment. All farmers, as well as the home slaughter practitioner, identified home slaughter as an effective method for salvaging animals that are ill-suited for conventional slaughter such as mildly lame animals or animals strayed out of the group that have become too difficult to handle during transport or at slaughter houses. Consequently, home slaughter contributes to the reduction of losses of beef at farm level, as many of these animals would otherwise require euthanasia.