What standards do slaughterhouses have to meet in Europe?
The slaughterhouse has a crucial position in the meat chain. The farmer’s work stops at the slaughterhouse, and the processing stage for the consumer begins. Virtually everything in a slaughterhouse revolves around animal welfare, hygiene, food safety and control. Slaughterhouses in Europe have to abide by rules set out in EU law, such as the regulation on the protection of animals at the time of killing. Upon arrival at a slaughterhouse, a veterinarian examines the animals for health and well-being. This is the ante-mortem inspection (AM). Animals that are sick or unable to walk should not be slaughtered and used for human consumption. The medical officer issues a slaughter permit for each healthy animal.
The strict processes in slaughterhouse operations
There are many other strict processes in slaughterhouse operations. For example, according to the Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009, and its latest consolidated version dated December 14, 2019, on protecting animals at the time of killing in the slaughterhouse, animal welfare officers ensure that the animals are treated with care. The officers provide advice on improvement opportunities where necessary. These officers are present at the unloading, driving, stunning and killing of the animals. They also monitor welfare in the temporary reception area.
Slaughtering must respect EU rules, preventing stress and suffering as much as possible and the slaughterhouses take measures to prevent animals from becoming stressed. Before the animals are slaughtered, they are first stunned. This is a very quick process in which the animals barely register any pain, and those carrying out the process are educated specifically on slaughter methods. Animals may only be slaughtered in an approved slaughter location. The company must comply with construction requirements for the accommodation and transport of the animals, food safety, hygiene, the environment, animal welfare, animal health, and the storage and removal of the residual and by-products from slaughter. Slaughterhouses that do not meet the requirements run the risk of being shut down.
Administrative rules surround the slaughter process
After the slaughtering process, a check is carried out on the carcass, on organs such as the lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys and lymph nodes. An approved carcass is stamped and carcasses are sold to meat processing companies or butchers in Europe and elsewhere. Rejected carcasses are destroyed. The officials who check the carcass can tell by the organs whether there are any food safety concerns. When in doubt, the organ is further examined in a laboratory. In addition, blood samples are taken for testing to ensure that only approved meat enters the food chain.
Meat cannot contain remnants or residues of a medicine
Animals treated with medicines may only be presented for slaughter after a mandatory waiting period to prevent residual veterinary medicinal products from remaining in the animal. There are official checks to make sure withdrawal periods and maximum residue levels are respected. During meat inspection the Food Chain Information (FCI) is a very important tool to help ensure meat safety.
The FCI was set down by Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, with its latest consolidated version dated February 15, 2023. It lays down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin that are required for all animals admitted to slaughter and is an integral part of the ante-mortem inspection. It contains information about the livestock farm the animal comes from, the health status of the company’s herd, and on which farms the animal was before it came to the slaughterhouse. The FCI also contains information about the use of veterinary medicines and other analysis data on food safety and public health. Results of meat inspections from previous slaughtering of that company can be found there, as well as the name of the veterinarian responsible for inspections.
The EUROP and SEUROP classifications
Every approved carcass must be weighed shortly after slaughter and receive a quality assessment based on a general evaluation and classification system: the EUROP and SEUROP classifications. The conformation of calves is indicated by the letters EUROP, with E being a convex and shapely carcass, R being an average shape or straight profile, and P being a plainer carcass with a concave profile. For adult cattle, the SEUROP classification goesfrom S for ‘superior’ to P for ‘poor’. The meat colour and fatiness are indicated on a 1 to 5 basis, with one being lean and five being fat. These classifications help to standardise the evaluation of meat quality across Europe, ensuring consistency and fairness in the market.
These rules together with the traceabilty information and classification processes all help to ensure that the entire slaughter process is thoroughly checked. Nothing is left to chance when it comes to animal welfare, hygiene, and food safety for consumers.