The corneal reflex has been one of the go-to indicators of unconsciousness in stunned livestock for decades.

It is no secret that different people may react in vastly different ways to stressful situations.

Fifty-six copies of enforcement letters have been posted to the FSIS Humane Handling Web site in 2013. A review of these letters underscores the importance of a systematic approach to animal welfare and helps identify common issues to resolve.

Earlier this year, the Food Safety and Inspection Service began posting notices of humane-handling enforcement actions taken at federally inspected slaughter establishments.

As the debate over the use of gestation stalls continues, it has become clearer that science is not the trump card in decision making, but it is still an incredibly valuable component.

The next major innovation in animal agriculture worldwide will be in the nutrition area. It won’t be one big event, but rather a series of innovations that combined add up to significant performance, improvement and cost reduction.