Day 077 - 25 Jan 95 - Page 29


     
     1   Q.   To what extent are any of those requirements about
     2        buildings relevant to animal welfare as opposed to hygiene?
     3        A.  Well, it is an audit of the building and the area of
     4        the abattoir.  It is important in terms of animal welfare
     5        that the layerages are not dangerous to the animal, no
     6        protruding angles, smooth walls, adequate ventilation,
     7        protection from the rain.
     8
     9   Q.   Can I ask you this:  Do you know whether a poor standard of
    10        animal husbandry in, let us say, a slaughterhouse, poor
    11        standard of animal welfare, has any effect upon the meat
    12        into which the animal is in due course converted?
    13        A.  Oh, definitely.
    14
    15   Q.   How can that happen?
    16        A.  If an animal is stressed just before it is killed, and
    17        it has a very high acid level in its cell structure, you
    18        get various problems; you get bone taint, for example.
    19
    20   Q.   Bone taint?
    21        A.  Yes, "taint".
    22
    23   Q.   What is the pathology of that?  How does that happen?
    24        A.  In the pelvic ball joint, if you think of an animal and
    25        its pelvis and the ball joint, if the animal has a high
    26        acid content and is stressed and agitated, invariably you
    27        will get a growth and a terrible smell, and it is all
    28        stimulated by bacteria and not bleeding properly and the
    29        general condition of the animal.  You will get what is
    30        called bone taint, and it means that the animal(?) has to
    31        be destroyed.  That is all do with stress.
    32
    33   Q.   That is just an example?
    34        A.  Yes.
    35
    36   Q.   One can see the damage done by projecting nails or
    37        something?
    38        A.  You do not want the animal bruised; you do not want the
    39        meat bruised.
    40
    41   Q.   Sorry?
    42        A.  You do not want the meat bruised.
    43
    44   Q.   No, you do not want the meat bruised and, presumably, you
    45        do not want the hide torn either?
    46        A.  No.
    47
    48   Q.   This bone taint, does it affect the look of the meat, the
    49        taste, the smell or what?
    50        A.  No, it does not affect the look of it, but it very much 
    51        affects the taste and the smell of it. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Can you turn over to page 37 -- perhaps you are already on
    54        the page -- the second page of the audit form?  We see
    55        there is a specific entry for slaughterhouses.  It says:
    56        "Layerage unloading and handling of livestock to be
    57        carried out with utmost regard to animal welfare"?
    58        A.  Yes.
    59
    60   Q.   What are the requirements so far as unloading and handling

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