Small-scale and mobile slaughter - Animal welfare and meat quality

The project was conducted from 2014 to 2018, aiming to:

• Compare the conditions for good animal welfare and meat quality at mobile and stationary slaughter of cattle.
• Suggest changes to slaughter routines and animal management in mobile and stationary slaughter of cattle in order to improve animal welfare and meat quality.

A mobile and a large-scale stationary slaughterhouse was followed for just over a year. Observations of a total of 596 animals were carried out regarding animal management and animal behavior during driving to the stun box and in the stun box, blood chemistry at bleeding, carcass characteristics, veterinary inspection findings and meat quality after 7 days of tendering by hanging.

The project was a scientific collaboration with RISE Research Institutes of Sweden(formerly SP Food & Bioscience). Collaboration also took place with Hälsingestintan AB and a slaughterhouse company with large-scale stationary slaughter.

Participants at the department were associate professor Jan Hultgren, professor Lotta Berg, researcher Katarina Arvidsson Segerkvist, professor Anders H. Karlsson, professor emeritus Bo Algers, research technician Anne Larsen and research technician Karin Wallin.

The project was financed with funds from the Marie-Claire Cronstedt Foundation, the Swedish Animal Welfare Association, Basen AB och Caroline Ankarcrona.

Publications

Hultgren, J., Arvidsson Segerkvist, K., Berg, C., Karlsson, A.H., Algers, B., 2020. Animal handling and stress-related behaviour at mobile slaughter of cattle. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 177C, 104959, doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.104959.

Arvidsson Segerkvist, K., Hultgren, J., Wallin, K., Larsen, A. & Karlsson, A.H., 2018. Is mobile abattoir beneficial for meat quality? Proceedings, 64th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, Melbourne, Australien 12-17 augusti 2018, abstract.

Arvidsson Segerkvist, K., Karlsson, A. & Hultgren, J., 2018. Is slaughter at a mobile abattoir beneficial for meat quality? Proceedings, 26th Congress of the Nordic Association of Agricultural Scientists, "Agriculture for the Next 100 Years", Kaunas, Litauen 27-29 juni 2018, abstract, Sektion B, s. 31.

Hultgren, J., Algers, B., Arvidsson Segerkvist, K., Berg, L., Karlsson, S., Larsen, S., Wallin, K., & Öhgren, C., 2018. Small-scale and mobile slaughter of cattle: Animal welfare and meat quality. Utförlig engelsk sammanfattning av vetenskaplig slutrapport med svensk sammanfattning. SLU, Inst. för husdjurens miljö och hälsa, Skara, Rapport 49.

Hultgren, J., Algers, B., Arvidsson Segerkvist, K., Berg, L., Karlsson, S., Larsen, S., Wallin, K., & Öhgren, C., 2018. Småskalig och mobil slakt av nötkreatur: Djurvälfärd och köttkvalitet. Vetenskaplig slutrapport. SLU, Inst. för husdjurens miljö och hälsa, Skara, Rapport 48

Hultgren, J., Algers, B. & Berg, C., 2018. Djurvälfärd vid mobil slakt av nötkreatur. Svensk Veterinärtidning 70 (8), 11-16.

Hultgren, J., Arvidsson-Segerkvist, K. & Karlsson, A., 2018. Slaktkroppsegenskaper och köttkvalitet vid mobil slakt av nötkreatur. Svensk Veterinärtidning 70 (9), 22-26.

Hultgren, J., Berg, C. & Algers, B., 2018. Animal welfare concerns in mobile cattle slaughter. Proceedings, 3rd Animal Welfare Science Symposium, Uppsala, 2-3 maj 2018. Presentation av Jan Hultgren.

Hultgren, J., Berg, C. & Algers, B., 2018. Pre-slaughter cattle handling and stress in mobile slaughter. Proceedings, European Congress of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine and Animal Welfare, Berlin, Tyskland 27-29 september 2018, abstract. Presentation av Jan Hultgren.

Hultgren, J., Berg, C., Karlsson, A.H., Schiffer, K.J. & Algers, B., 2018. On-farm slaughter – ethical implications and prospects. I: Springer, S. & Grimm, H., red., Professionals in food chains. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, Nederländerna, s. 146-151. Presentation av Jan Hultgren.

Hultgren, J., Berg, C., Schiffer, K.J. och Algers, B., 2018. On-farm slaughter of cattle – prospects for efficient veterinary inspection and good animal welfare. Book of abstracts, Nordic Meeting on the Modernisation of Meat Control and Animal Welfare Inspection at slaughterhouses, Uppsala, 7-8 mars 2018, abstract, s. 16. Presentation av Jan Hultgren.

Karlsson, A., 2018. Kan jag påverka mina djurs köttkvalitet? Gård & Djurhälsans Nötköttsseminarium, Ängelholm 25 januari 2018. Presentation av Anders Karlsson.

Karlsson, A., Öhgren, C. & Hultgren, J., 2018. Är mobil slakt gynnsam för köttkvaliteten? Studiebesök Gröna Möten på Götala nöt- och lammköttscentrum med föredrag om tekniska innovationer och metoder för en jämnare köttkvalitet, Skara 12 april 2018. Interreg Öresund-Kattegatt-Skagerrak. Presentation av Anders Karlsson och Camilla Öhgren.

Hultgren, J., Berg, C. och Algers, B., 2017. Associations between driving actions and animal stress in mobile slaughter of cattle. Proceedings, XVIII International Congress on Animal Hygiene, Mazatlán, Mexiko, 17-23 mars 2017, förlängt abstract, s. 36-39.

Hultgren, J., Berg, C., Arvidsson Segerkvist, K. och Algers, B., 2016. Mobile abattoirs as a means to reduce stress in slaughter cattle. Proceedings, European Congress on Animal Welfare & Behavioural Medicine, Cascais, Portugal, 20-22 oktober 2016, abstract, s. 25.

Jonsson, K., 2016. Mobil och småskalig slakt av idisslare - bättre än storskalig stationär slakt för djuren och köttkvaliteten? Studentarbete på grundnivå, G2E.