Animal Welfare during Transport and Slaughter of Cattle: A Systematic Review of Studies in the European Legal Framework

Abstract

Literature related to European transport and slaughter processes were included in this systematic review. The publication period is limited to the past twelve years since the European Animal Welfare Transport Regulation was enacted in 2009. Three different databases were used. The final screening resulted in the inclusion of 19 articles in this review. When handling cattle during transport and slaughter, personnel have an important impact and may inflict stress on the animals. Other factors, such as the group composition and health status prior to transport, can have a strong negative effect on animal welfare. At the abattoir, constructional conditions and the resulting environmental influences can have a negative impact on welfare as well. These include increased noise levels due to the lack of noise dampening and changing light conditions. Stress in cattle can be assessed, e.g., by measuring stress hormones or heart rate. Effective stunning is an important welfare-relevant step in the slaughtering process. Some signs of unconsciousness, such as immediate body collapse or absence of the corneal reflex, can be easily assessed. Expertise and continuous training of all personnel involved are important measures in stress reduction.

Influence of Transport Distance, Animal Weight, and Muscle Position on the Quality Factors of Meat of Young Bulls during the Summer Months

“…In our experiment, transport conditions did not appear to be a significant source of animal stress; this was likely because the young bulls were only transported average distances (shorter than 50 km) from the farms to the slaughterhouse over time periods spanning less than 2 h (Table 2). The transport conditions were also in compliance with German legislation, which states that livestock should not be transported for more than 8 h before they reach the slaughterhouse [51]. Our results agree with previous opinions, which have argued that transport times less than 6 h do not imply serious risks for meat quality [24,52].…”

Opportunities to Improve Animal Welfare during Transport and Slaughter of Cattle and Pigs through Staff Training—Results of a Delphi Survey

“…All highest-rated action points include crucial steps during transport and slaughter of cattle and pigs with a focus on the recognition of significant signs of animal suffering ('Lameness' during 'Unloading at abattoir', or 'Absence of rhythmic breathing' at 'Checks on stunning'). These aspects have been well documented in previous studies and are incorporated in EU legislation [15,16].…”

“…Relevant action points for animal welfare measures during transport and slaughter were identified based on two systematic literature reviews for cattle and pigs [15,16]. In the Delphi survey, the participating experts rated no action point below a median of 5, equalling an at least 'moderately relevant aspect of animal welfare', respectively 'moderate potential of improvement' (Figures 3 and 4).…”

“…To identify important action points concerning animal welfare during transport and slaughter, appropriate systematic literature reviews were performed in advance for cattle and pigs [15,16]. To ascertain the most effective training subjects from the action points elucidated from the literature searches, a survey-based Delphi approach was deemed most appropriate.…”

Animal welfare at German abattoirs: insights into the occurrence of violations against laws and regulations from official veterinarians and judicial decisions

“…Future studies could also develop metrics to help OVs assess animal welfare violations. Also, a similar study could be conducted to investigate animal welfare during transport to abattoirs, seeing as this is also known to be a critical part of the process in which various animal welfare violations occur ( 45 ).…”