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Humane Handling
Humane Handling of Food AnimalsConsumers are increasingly asking questions about the food they eat - questions about food safety and quality, and also questions regarding the treatment of food animals. They expect that their food is from animals treated with care during production and processing. As a result, many food processors are now being audited for animal welfare by their retail customers. Careful handling on the farm, in the transport truck, at the livestock
auction market and at the slaughter plant makes sense in terms of both
animal welfare and meat quality. In addition, the World Organisation for
Animal Health (OIE) has identified animal welfare as a high priority for
the coming years.
Animal welfare and the Food Safety and Quality ActIn Ontario, Regulation 31/05 (Meat) under the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001 (FSQA) ensures that food animals are handled and slaughtered humanely at provincially licensed slaughter plants. For example, the regulation requires that: The slaughter process be conducted in a way that does not subject animals to avoidable pain or distress;The equipment or instrument to restrain, slaughter or render a food animal
unconscious at a slaughter plant be operated by persons who are competent
and physically able to do so without subjecting the animal to avoidable
pain or distress; and, Compliance with these requirements is monitored by Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) meat inspectors. Meat inspectors are present at provincially licensed abattoirs during all slaughter activities. Meat inspectors inspect each animal before and after slaughter, as well as premises and operational practices. They have the authority to stop slaughter, detain product and issue compliance orders if operations are not in compliance with standards, including animal welfare standards. Meat inspectors and appointed veterinarians are supported in their work by area managers, veterinary scientists and regional veterinarians, who provide advice on all animal welfare related matters at abattoirs and sales barns, including facilities, handling, restraints, stunning, bleeding, downer and compromised animals. Promoting animal welfare practices at abattoirs and livestock auction marketsIn addition to monitoring compliance with regulatory requirements, OMAFRA promotes animal welfare through proactively working with the livestock industry. OMAFRA employs a humane standards officer (HSO) to promote understanding of animal welfare principles and assist the industry with developing and implementing animal welfare assurance performance measures into their daily business practices. The humane standards officer provides leadership and scientific support for inspection programs related to evaluating animal welfare in licensed abattoirs and livestock auction markets. This position also develops, maintains and enforces new standards, as well as compliance and audit procedures and protocols. Providing advice to inspection staff and industry as well as co-ordinating the investigation and tracking of animal welfare issues are also among the duties assigned to the HSO. Among other initiatives, co-operative work between the ministry, Canadian Farm Animal Care Trust (CanFACT), University of Guelph and the industry led to the development of a device for humanely stunning rabbits, which complies with new regulatory requirements. (For additional information on this device, operators can contact Kevin Joynes at OMAFRA's Animal Health and Welfare Branch, at (519) 826-7510.) Monitoring of the humane handling of livestock is also one of the goals of the Livestock Community Sales Act (LCSA) Program. More than one million animals are marketed through sales barns in Ontario each year. Inspectors, lay inspectors and veterinary inspectors play a critical role in ensuring that animal health and welfare is monitored on a daily basis at the sales barns and compromised animals are humanely dealt with. Contacts:Penny Lawlis, Humane Standards Officer Mike Draper, Livestock Community Sales Act Coordinator / Weigh and Trim
Coordinator Dr. Robert Hayes, Regional Veterinarian External links:
| Top of Page | For more information:Toll Free: 1-888-466-2372 ext. 64230 (daytime) 1-888-466-2372 ext. 64360 (after hours) Local: (519) 826-4230 (daytime) (519) 826-4360 (after hours) E-mail: meat.inspection@ontario.ca |
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