State of Animal Welfare 2019

The University of Wisconsin-River Falls Animal Welfare Lab’s summary of the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) humane handling regulatory activity from 2018 identified ineffective stunning as the most common cause of suspension, notice of intended enforcement (NOIE) and suspension reinstatement for violations of the Humane Slaughter Act and 9 CFR 313.

In total, 89 of 109 regulatory actions (81.7 percent) cited stunning-related issues as their cause. Previous surveys from 2016 and 2017 reported similar results supporting the idea that additional attention to stunning efficacy is necessary. It is important to note that ineffective stunning is not an issue in all slaughter establishments — it appears to depend heavily on the amount of focused attention and commitment to “getting it right” that management and stunning personnel have invested at each facility. Within the 89 stunning-related enforcement actions in 2018, 75 (84.3 percent) were linked to ineffective mechanical stunning. Specifically, mechanical stunning included gunshot and captive bolt. Only half of the enforcement action letters clearly identified the reason for the stunning issue that triggered the regulatory action. Within the letters that cited a reason, more than half (26 of 44, or 59 percent) were because of improper shot placement. The key ingredients to accurate stun placement include effective training, equipment that matches the ergonomic needs of the operator and predictable head location at the time of stunning. The encouraging news here is that all of these can be optimized with attention, creativity and careful adjustment. As in any other sector or phase of food production, we don’t have to accept the current challenges as permanent roadblocks.