Summary

The facilities of the meat processor ‘Maso uzeniny Pisek a.s.’ were outdated and the animals were exposed to considerable stress before being slaughtered. Besides the ethical aspect, the stress caused to the animals also had a negative impact on the meat. It was of poor quality and could not be sold or used in the production of quality meat products. 

In collaboration with the Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology at University of Chemical Technology (UCT) in Prague, the meat processor introduced a number of changes to improve animal welfare. Holding pens were introduced to calm the animals as they arrived. The path pigs follow from the admission point, to the holding pens, to where they are slaughtered was straightened and shortened and the electric stunning method was replaced by a modern CO2 stunning technique.

 

Results

The investment in the new buildings and equipment enhanced the animal welfare and food safety standards and the use of CO2 stunning had a series of positive effects: