12/19/22 Slaughterhouse brutalization they don't want seen
The Slovenian association published new shocking footage of routine practices in the meat industry
- Animal Friends Croatia calls for signatures on the European initiative to end slaughterhouses
Last year, the Slovenian association AETP (Animal Enterprise Transparency Project) released videos to the public that reveal the terrible mistreatment of animals in the Košaki slaughterhouse in Maribor. The published footage caused so much controversy that some of the larger retail chains removed the slaughterhouse's products from sale. New footage captured by hidden cameras shows that the infamous Košaki slaughterhouse is not a rare example but a routine practice. Namely, in the slaughterhouse of the agricultural cooperative Rače, which was built according to modern European guidelines, recordings show that workers regularly abuse animals with batons, and the stunning of animals before slaughter is deficient or not carried out at all. Animal abuse was also confirmed by the Directorate for Food Safety, Veterinary Medicine and Plant Protection (UVHVVR).
The footage shows a pig tied by the leg to a slaughter line without first being stunned. She bled to death while fully conscious. The Association states that they witnessed a huge number of cases of improper stunning. In almost half of all stunning attempts seen, the current was not strong enough to ensure a loss of consciousness in the animals. Stunning physically paralyzes them, but they still go to the slaughter while fully conscious.
They also state they have noticed there is a very long period from stunning the animal with an electric shock to cutting the jugular veins - on average it takes 2 minutes even though the rules say it should be done within 15 seconds. After 15 seconds, the animal regains consciousness. Even with apparently proper stunning, most bulls clearly react to a knife stab, but these very noticeable signs do not bother workers and veterinarians. The process of stunning animals during slaughter is far different from the public opinion that animals fall asleep painlessly.
Workers in slaughterhouses are generally cold and indifferent to animals. A muted empathy for animals is key to this gruesome profession. But this same lack of compassion in turn leads to ignoring the suffering of animals and brutalizing them further. Whether the animals are from organic, industrial farming, or someone's backyard, the end is the same for all: they arrive at the slaughterhouse alive and leave in pieces.
"There is nothing humane about slaughterhouses and there should be no pretense and lies about it. The entire life of a 'food animal' includes unnatural breeding, cruel treatment, artificial feeding and long drives leading to inevitable death. Cramped pens, electric batons, twisting of tails, and torture and fear are still widespread occurrences during the breeding, transportation, and slaughter of animals. "The only way to save animals from terrible suffering in death factories is to stop eating them and reach for equally tasty and available plant-based meat and products," said Animal Friends Croatia.
They invite everyone to sign the citizens' initiative at https://eci.ec.europa.eu/025/public/#/screen/home with the aim of starting to invest in life-saving animal-free meat production technology in Europe. Each signature submits a proposal to start supporting the production of plant-based and cultured meat in the EU, meat that is both ecological, clean, and healthier, but also without antibiotics, manure, tumors, and animal suffering.