Slaughter Legislation

Slaughter legislation is very important to ensure hygiene and that the animal does not suffer etc. 

The Humane Slaughter Association specialises in food animal welfare at markets, transport, slaughter and killing for disease control and welfare reasons. The HSA focuses on research, training and education, development & information/advice. 

• 1995 Welfare of Animals Act at Slaughter or Killing- introduced to comply with an EU directive. Set higher standards than the directive in gas stunning requirements and slaughter licensing. 
• 1967 Slaughter of Poultry Act
• 2013- new legislation- Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing.

Regulation EC1099/2009 by the EU will be coming into force as from January this year. This replaces the directive in which the 1995 act was based on. It differs from a directive in that it is legally binding across all member states with no room for interpretation between countries. This is about protection of animals at the time of killing. It does provide scope for national rules. It will be introduced separately by the four different UK governments. 

The legislation covers any animal bred or kept for production of food, wool, skin, fur or other products as well as the killing of animals for the purpose of depopulation and for related operations. Does not include reptiles or amphibians but the scope of the legislation exceeds beyond slaughterhouses. It does not apply when animals are killed during scientific experiments, during hunting or recreational fishing, during cultural or sporting events. It does not apply to poultry, rabbits or hares slaughtered outside the slaughterhouse for own consumption. Fish are not fully included apart from on the basic principle that they are spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering. There are also exemptions for emergency killing outside the slaughterhouse, or where compliance with the legislation would result in a risk for human health and safety. 

The legislation requires under basic principles that the best practice is always aimed for and allows adoption of advances of methods or equipment. The best possible framework for achieving welfare standards is outlined but how the best welfare is achieved is up to the business operator. More flexibility in this legislation for technical developments, scientific support and minority farmed species. Business operators are now required to write standard operating procedures for all the operations that involve live animals that take place on the premises. They detail step by step how a certain task should be done. They also need to be written for emergency situations- such as when an animal is failed to be stunned for the first time. Industry guides to good practice need to be written by committees to guide the business operator of the slaughterhouse. Farmers may also need to write SOPS for where animals are killed on farms and the vet has to advise on this. 

Animals must be killed by an approved method that leads to instant death or death after stunning. Key parameters for consideration for when using the method are also listed. There is a derogation in this for Halal etc subject to national rules.  Slaughter associated with a religious rite can only be carried out within a slaughterhouse.  There is also an exception to use an approved method in an emergency and farmers may kill livestock as soon as possible when the animal qualifies. 

The most significant changes:

• Neck dislocation of poultry. Manual only on birds less than 3kg and limited to 70 birds per day. Mechanical only on birds less than 5kg.
• Reccomendations for use of blunt face trauma.
• Decapitation without stunning no longer an approved method.

Certificate of Competence 

• Required by anyone handling and care of animals before restraint, restraint for stunning or killing, stunning, shackling and hoisting, bleeding, religious slaughter, and vets are exempt when acting in exercise of their profession. Vets now need a certificate for slaughter or killing other than emergency killing.
• For private domestic consumption they must use an approved method, and whilst a certificate of competence is not needed, competence is. The meat must not be sold or traded in any way.

Slaughterhouse Operations 

• Maximum numbers of animals per hour.
• Maximum stocking density in lairage.
• Individual, mechanical restraint for religious slaughter.
• Regular checks on efficient stunning.
• Both carotids systematically severed. 

Animal Welfare Officer 

• Assist business operator to comply to legislation.
• >1000 livestock units/year. 
• Many assurance schemes already require this. 

New national rules may be adopted for killing outside the slaughterhouse, slaughtering game or in relation to slaughter by religious methods. 

Imports from third world countries must now comply with chapters II and III of the legislation.