News Research
Stop on increasing slaughter speed remains (yet)
The risks associated with a higher slaughter speed can be overcome by measures. This is the conclusion of researchers from Wageningen Livestock Research. A company must be assessed for animal welfare, food safety and the inspection process for approval to increase the slaughter speed. For agriculture minister Henk Staghouwer, this is not (yet) a reason to withdraw the stop on increasing slaughter speed.
Wageningen Livestock Research, together with Utrecht University, conducted a study into risk factors in increasing the slaughter speed, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. A higher slaughter speed increases the risks for animal welfare, the quality of inspections and food safety, but these risks do not necessarily have consequences, according to the report. The risks can be overcome by taking specific measures, such as proper planning of the supply, adjusting the layout of the loading platform, the waiting area, the driving corridors and the technical installations and inspection platforms. Training and deployment of sufficient personnel and supervision also play an important role in reducing the consequences of risk factors.
Before granting permission to increase the slaughter speed, a company must be assessed on animal welfare aspects as well as food safety and the inspection process, the researchers say. Where this is not yet the case, a specific assessment framework must be drawn up to assess the various risk factors and consequences. For this, requirements that must be met must be drawn up by policy and supervisory authorities in consultation with the interested parties. If a company demonstrates that the requirements of an assessment framework are met, increasing the slaughter speed does not have to be limited by definition.
Since July, order to reject applications for an increase in slaughter speed
On July 21, Staghouwer's predecessor, Carola Schouten, gave the Inspector General of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) an instruction to reject current and new applications from companies to increase the slaughter speed with immediate effect. Staghouwer does not withdraw the clue for the time being and first takes two other steps. He has an independent practical test carried out at a limited number of poultry and red meat slaughterhouses. Secondly, he writes that he responds to the researchers' recommendation to arrive at a well-supported new assessment framework.
"If a company shows that the requirements of an assessment framework can be met on all these aspects, increasing the slaughter speed is not by definition objectionable," Staghouwer said in a letter to the House of Representatives. "The report shows that it is not useful or possible to enforce a reduction in speed in a generic sense, because the process control at a certain slaughter speed strongly depends on the situation and layout of that specific slaughterhouse."
Motions adopted to structurally reduce slaughter speed
According to Staghouwer, this confirms Schouten's dilemma after the passed motions requesting the government to immediately instruct slaughterhouses to structurally lower the slaughter speed. "Apart from the lack of a legal basis for this, it is not possible to substantiate this measure generically for all slaughterhouses, as is apparent from this report. What this means is that solely on the basis of concrete situations in a particular slaughterhouse, where the slaughterhouse cannot adequately safeguard the risks, the slaughter speed can be a means of adequately controlling the risks."
The scientific advisory group of Wageningen UR advised the minister not to carry out a limited practical test, because each slaughterhouse has its unique layout and working methods and the results of such a practical test cannot possibly be representative for all slaughterhouses. This practical test was therefore not performed. Although the minister says he will respect the advice, he will still have such a practical test carried out.
Linda van Eekeres
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.
