Document type: Scientific article published in Frontiers in Animal Science
Authors: Herskin MS, Toft-Petersen E, Krogh MA
Abstract in French (translation): Quality of data on temperatures inside vehicles, collected by the competent authorities as part of animal welfare inspections during the long-distance transport of pigs: a Danish case study
This article focuses on temperature data collected by public authorities as part of animal welfare inspections during the long-distance transport of pigs within the European Union, and assesses the quality of this data in terms of monitoring animal welfare. The law requires transporters to collect temperature data and make these records available to public authorities upon request. Using the large-scale transport of weaned piglets from Denmark to other EU member states as an example, the objective of this article was to identify and examine the quality of the records collected by public authorities in order to provide information on animal welfare s during transport. Our analysis focused on a cross-sectional data sample comprising 180 returned records, representing 124 journeys made during selected weeks in 2023. Data analysis revealed a highly heterogeneous set of text files in various formats. Variables deemed essential for understanding the content of the files and interpreting their implications for animal welfare were identified. For the vast majority of the returned logs, only a limited number of these variables were present. The diversity was evident, particularly regarding the number of sensors providing data per vehicle (ranging from one to six sensors), highly heterogeneous sampling intervals, the absence of information on outdoor temperatures, and the insufficiency of certain types of data. Factors such as a lack of knowledge regarding sensor placement (horizontal and vertical), a lack of knowledge regarding pig behavior during data collection, and missing data are examined as potential limitations to the quality of the temperature records submitted for animal welfare monitoring. In conclusion, the heterogeneity of the equipment and the lack of knowledge regarding sensor placement and pig behavior during data collection constitute significant limitations for interpreting the transmitted temperature records in terms of animal welfare. Alongside the future development of standardized digital solutions to create a more efficient, transparent, and enforceable system, further validation studies are needed to identify the minimum requirements for how temperature data and associated metadata should be systematically collected in order to assess animal welfare during the long-distance transport of pigs.
Preview: This paper focuses on temperature data collected by public authorities as part of animal welfare inspections of long-distance transport of pigs in the EU and evaluates the quality of these data in terms of monitoring animal welfare. It is a legal requirement that transporters collect temperature data and that temperature recordings are made available to the public authority upon request. Using the extensive transport of weaner pigs from Denmark to other EU member states as a case, the aim of this paper was to map and review the quality of records collected in this way by public authorities for the purpose of informing about animal welfare during transport. Our analysis involved a spot sample of data containing 180 returned logs representing 124 journeys from selected weeks in 2023. Data analysis revealed a highly heterogeneous material constituting text files in multiple designs. Variables considered critical to understanding the content of the file and interpreting the consequences in terms of animal welfare were identified. For the vast majority of the returned logs, only a limited number of these variables were present. The diversity was evident in terms of, for example, the number of sensors providing the data per vehicle (one to six sensors), highly heterogeneous sampling intervals, lack of information on outdoor temperatures, and lack of multiple data types. Factors such as lack of knowledge about sensor placement (horizontal and vertical), lack of knowledge about the behavior of the pigs during data collection, and missing data are discussed as potential limitations for the quality of returned temperature logs in order to monitor animal welfare. In conclusion, the heterogeneity of the material and the lack of knowledge about sensor placement and pig behavior during data collection constitute significant limitations for the interpretation of the returned temperature logs in terms of animal welfare. In parallel with a future development of standardized digital solutions creating a more efficient, transparent, and enforceable system, further validation studies are needed to identify minimum requirements for how temperature data and associated metadata should be systematically collected in order to be able to assess animal welfare during long-distance transport of pigs.
