Subject: Agri-food sector

Towards the use of on-farm slaughterhouse

Thierry Astruc, E.M. Claudia Terlouw

Published in 2023

Scientific review of the different stages of slaughtering and their possible impacts on animal stress, welfare and meat quality. It reviews the regulations and technological advances that have led to the development of mobile slaughter units, presents a non-exhaustive list of mobile slaughter units currently in use, and sets out the advantages and disadvantages of these mobile units.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Brain integration, Carcass quality, Stress, Livestock farming system

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Évaluation des coûts de production des filières porcs et poulets de chair sous cahiers des charges « bien-être animal » et de leurs modalités de valorisation

FranceAgriMer

Published in 2023

Results of a project commissioned from Ecozept by France Agri Mer, intended to take stock of existing animal welfare approaches in the pig and broiler poultry sectors in the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, and to provide answers to two questions: one on the additional production costs of each of the various approaches and the main factors that influence them, and the other on the added market value of products deriving from these approaches.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines, Poultry

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Livestock farming system

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ChickenTrack 2022 European report

CIWF France

Published in 2023

Report on the progress made by companies signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) approach, in particular that of the 120 French  businesses involved, 21 of which participated in ChickenTrack. At European level, numbers reporting publicly on their progress are highest for French companies. Almost all French retailers are now committed to the BCC for 100% of fresh and frozen chicken and processed products containing over 50% chicken sold under their own brands.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Livestock farming system

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Challenges In Understanding Farmed Insect Welfare

Meghan Barrett, Bob Fischer

Published in 2023

Challenges identified in this article include the rapid growth of the insect farming industry and associated innovations, the use of welfare tools originally developed for vertebrates, variations between populations and individuals, welfare needs during insect development, and animal welfare trade-offs in the decision to use insect as opposed to fish proteins.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Insects

Keywords: Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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Rapport du CGAAER n° 21124 – Mission d’appui à la filière lapin de chair

Bruno Gadoud, Philippe Seinger

Published in 2023

This report reminds us of the importance of farming conditions in ensuring the good treatment of rabbits. It also describes the initiatives taken by the rabbit industry to improve animal welfare. It provides a series of recommendations for the various stakeholders in the industry.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories:Monogastric

Keywords:Enrichment, Housing, Livestock farming system

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Effects of Animal Welfare-Certified Rearing Systems on the Blood Parameters and Meat Quality Characteristics of Broilers at the Farm Level in Korea

Jin-Joo Jeon, Hee-Jin Kim, Hye-Jin Kim, HHwan-Ku Kang, Chan-Ho Kim, Hyun-Soo Kim, Bo-Seok Kang, Sang-Ho Kim, Aera Jang

Published in 2023

Scientific paper showing that management practices in Korean broiler farms certified for animal welfare have clear effects on blood parameters, meat quality and content of bioactive compounds compared to conventional farms. The authors attribute  these improvements to plant-based protein supplements and the increase in space for movement due to the low stocking densities in the certified farms.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Carcass quality, Livestock farming system

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Improving animal welfare status and meat quality through assessment of stress biomarkers: A critical review

Pavan Kumar, Muideen Adewale Ahmed, Abubakar Ahmed Abubakar, Muhammad Nizam Hayat, Ubedullah Kaka, Mokrish Ajat, Yong Meng Goh, Awis Qurni Sazili

Published in 2022

Scientific review of the various stress biomarkers most commonly used in animal husbandry and the factors that influence their expression. The focus is on the use of meat biomarkers, which would allow the non-invasive prediction of meat quality, but also on animal stress before slaughter.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Carcass quality, Welfare indicators

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Revision of animal transport legislation - an essential part of the food production - Information from the Portuguese delegation on behalf of the French, Greek, Irish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish delegations

General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union

Published in 2023

Information note from eight European Union countries, including France, opposing the ban on the transport of live animals from member countries. The reasons given are 1. that this would favour imports from third countries with less stringent animal welfare standards, and 2. the difficulty of maintaining the cold chain when transporting meat. The eight countries recommend that enforcement of EU legislation should be strengthened and EU expertise should be shared with third countries to improve animal welfare during transport.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Societal issues, Stress, Transportation

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When Do We Start Caring About Insect Welfare?

Tina Klobučar, David N. Fisher 

Published in 2023

Article addressing welfare issues for insects in light of increases in insect farming and consumption, their potential as an alternative source of protein for human and animal food, and their cognitive and sensory abilities suggested by the scientific data.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Insects

Keywords: Pain, Societal issues

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State Policies for Farm Animal Welfare in Production Practices of U.S. Livestock and Poultry Industries: An Overview

Danielle J. Ufer

Published in 2022

Report describing the current status of U.S. policies related to practices that may impact farm animal welfare, the extent of their implementation and geographic coverage, and the legal environment and challenges these policies have faced.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Bovines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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