Measures preventing BSE-contamination during the slaughter of cattle

SRM-regulations and the prohibition of pithing have removed major risks of spreading BSE-infection. Traditional slaughter technology, especially captive bolt stunning, head handling and carcass splitting nevertheless still provide non-negligible risks for contamination with the BSE-agent if present in cattle, and should therefore be replaced by safer techniques. However, alternative methods like electrical stunning or removal of the spinal cord prior to splitting the carcass cannot yet be considered a reliable and practical option. Surface contamination could be prevented altogether by abandoning the practice of carcass splitting and by removing the vertebral column while still connected to the head, although this would result in disadvantages for post mortem inspection.     

家禽宰前致晕的进展:Ⅰ国际新标准

致晕(击晕、致昏)是家禽人道主义屠宰的关键环节,对动物福利、胴体及肉品质有着重大的影响。本文综述了世界动物卫生组织、欧盟、联合国粮农组织、美国和我国关于家禽致晕方法(电致晕、控制气体致晕、机械致晕)和关键参数的最新法规及标准,为我国家禽屠宰行业的生产、研究和立法提供参考。     

Effect of slaughter on the spontaneous and evoked activity of the brain

The principal blood vessels in the neck which are severed at slaughter in commercial poultry processing plants are described. Mechanical slaughtering methods often severed the spinal cord without cutting the carotid arteries. The manual method of slaughter cut one carotid artery plus one jugular vein. The effects of 9 different slaughtering methods on spontaneous and evoked electrical activity in the brain were examined in anaesthetised chickens and ducks. Severing the spinal cord without cutting the carotid arteries was found to result in death from asphyxia, and cutting one carotid artery plus one jugular vein was one of the slowest methods of killing the birds. Inducing a cardiac arrest at electrical stunning was the quickest method of inducing death. Spontaneous activity in the brain was lost before visual evoked activity. The times before loss of spontaneous activity varied between 23 and 233 s according to the method of slaughter and loss of evoked activity ranged between 90 and 349 s after slaughter.     

The use of electrical stunning followed by electro-immobilization for the humane slaughter of cattle

Sir;- In New Zealand, calves are often electrically stunned before slaughter. However, electrical stunning is not usually used for adult cattle, primarily because the large size of the adult animal makes restraint more difficult, resulting in less reproducible stunning, with potential danger to personnel from animal movement. In addition, the slaughter of cattle may be inhumane if the stunning process does not ensure immediate and permanent insensibility (Newhook and Blackmore 1982b). The use and humaneness of electrical stunning of sheep and cattle have been the subject of our recent research, in which we have addressed and resolved many of these problems. We wish to relate our observations in the context of head-only electrical stunning of cattle followed by electro-immobilization to maintain insensibility and ensure carcass stillness.     

Animal welfare aspects of the killing of fish

According to the Animal Protection Law (1986) fish are to be killed by methods which do not cause pain. However, the regulations do not cover the killing of non-food fish. A questionnaire, conducted among 85 fish scientists, revealed that single fish should be killed by a blow on the head, and larger numbers by electrical methods or by use of chemicals. Decapitation was proposed for eels. A regulation from 1936 stipulates the methods for the slaughtering of food fish. Mechanical or electrical stunning is compulsory except for eel and flatfish. The questionnaire showed that in general the present legal regulations are sufficient for the slaughtering of fish with the exception of eels. The commercially available apparatus for stunning and killing do not always fulfill the requirements of animal protection, slaughtering technology and safety for the user. Official testing of these apparatus as well as the evaluation of new methods--like CO2-stunning--are necessary in order to prevent the use of methods which are feasible, but do not fulfill animal welfare, especially for eel.     

Studies on contamination of beef with tissues of the central nervous system (CNS) as pertaining to slaughtering technology and human BSE-exposure risk

Contamination of beef by tissues of the central nervous system (CNS) due to slaughter technology causes some concern considering the potential health hazard by food borne exposure to the infectious agent of BSE. The present study was designed to quantify the extent of CNS contamination as pertaining to stunning and splitting technology. Of the 726 animals 48 contained a total of 58 emboli-like particles in lungs and/or right ventricles. The incidence of emboli-like particles was found to be slightly higher in animals slaughtered without pithing (5.9%) than in the animals slaughtered with pithing (4.1%). Of the 58 emboli-like particles only two were positive in the anti-NSE western immunoblotting (0.3% of the 726 animals). The immuno reaction of these NSE-positive particles was several orders of magnitude lower as obtained by pure brain material. The microscopical analysis of the two NSE-positive emboli-like particles for presence of CNS-like tissues was negative. Following splitting of carcasses by sawing with and without prior removing the spinal cord we found NSE-positive reactions in 32% and 17% of the samples, respectively. The immuno reaction, however, was predominantly comparable to standard material containing less than 0.5% CNS. Overall the results show that CNS contamination of bovine carcasses cannot be excluded by current slaughter technology. However, the additional human BSE-exposure risk can be judged to be at least minor when considering extent of contamination, dilution effects and BSE-testing.     

Killing of cattle via electrical stunning

For disease control in the case of epidemics killing of cattle via electrical stunning is a method of choice. The official veterinarian is responsible for monitoring the adhesion to animal welfare principles during electrical stunning and killing.This requires specialised knowledge and experience as the symptoms of effective stunning are quite variable in cattle. Signs of effective and ineffective stunning are described below. In addition to suitable technical equipment, restraint of the animals and correct use of the equipment, neurophysiological processes have to be considered. Calm handling of the animals avoiding stress is a prerequisite for ensuring animal welfare and minimising pain especially when killing cattle using electrical methods.     

Spinal trauma. Pathophysiology and management of traumatic spinal injuries.

Spinal trauma can originate from internal or external sources. Injuries to the spinal cord can be classified as either concussive or compressive and concussive. The pathophysiologic events surrounding spinal cord injury include the primary injury (compression, concussion) and numerous secondary injury mechanisms (vascular, biochemical, electrolyte), which are mediated by excessive oxygen free radicles, neurotransmitter and electrolyte alterations in cell membrane permeability, excitotoxic amino acids, and various other biochemical factors that collectively result in reduced SCBF, ischemia, and eventual necrosis of the gray and white matter. Management of acute spinal cord injuries includes the use of a high-dose corticosteroid regimen within the initial 8 hours after trauma. Sodium prednisolone and methylprednisolone, at recommended doses, act as oxygen radical scavengers and are anti-inflammatory. Additional considerations are the stability of the vertebral column, other conditions associated with trauma (i.e., pneumothorax), and the presence or absence of spinal cord compression, which may warrant surgical therapy. Vertebral fractures or luxations can occur in any area of the spine but most commonly occur at the junction of mobile and immobile segments. Dorsal and dorsolateral surgical approaches are applicable to the lumbosacral and thoracolumbar spine and dorsal and ventral approaches to the cervical spine. Indications for surgical intervention include spinal cord compression and vertebral instability. Instability can be determined from the type of fracture, how many of the three compartments of the vertebrae are disrupted, and on occasion, by carefully positioned stress studies of fluoroscopy. Decompression (dorsal laminectomy, hemilaminectomy, or ventral cervical slot) is employed when compression of the spinal cord exists. The hemilaminectomy (unilateral or bilateral) causes less instability than dorsal laminectomy and therefore should be used when practical. The preferred approach for atlantoaxial subluxation is ventral, and the cross pinning, vertebral fusion technique is used for stabilization. Fracture luxations of C-2 are repaired with small plates on the ventral vertebral body. The thoracic and upper lumbar spine is stabilized with dorsal fixation techniques or combined dorsal spinal plate/vertebral body plate fixation. Several methods of fixation can be used with lower lumbar or lumbosacral fractures, including the modified segmental technique and the combined dorsal spinal plate/Kirschner-Ehmer technique.     

Acquired spinal cord and peripheral nerve disease.

Acquired spinal cord diseases in ruminants result most commonly from infectious, traumatic, metabolic/nutritional, or toxic causes and rarely from neoplasia. Clinical signs of spinal cord disease depend on the neuroanatomic location of the lesion. Acquired spinal cord diseases including vertebral osteomyelitis/spinal abscess, cauda-equina disease, enzootic ataxia, lymphosarcoma,polyradiculoneuritis, and degenerative myeloencephalopathy are discussed. Acquired peripheral nerve disease in cattle most often is a result of injury, and most commonly only one limb is involved.Peripheral nerve injuries frequently occur secondary to myopathy in recumbent adult cattle. In small ruminants, peripheral nerve injury seems less common, most likely due to their smaller size,but may occur from predator wounds or iatrogenically following intramuscular drug administration. Injury to the brachial plexus and radial, suprascapular, sciatic, femoral, and obturator nerves is discussed.     

Localized diseases of the bovine brain and spinal cord

Localized lesions of the central nervous system do occur in cattle. Those affecting the cranial nerves and focal lesions of the spinal cord are most easily recognized by careful neurologic examination. Once the lesion has been anatomically localized, likely etiologic causes can be pursued. Probably the most common cause of cranial nerve deficits in cattle is listeriosis. Important differential diagnoses include brain and pituitary abscesses and extensions of ear infections. Other possible causes include PEM, TEME, hypovitaminosis A, and several rare, sporadic causes. In young cattle, spinal trauma and vertebral body abscesses are the most common causes of progressive paresis resulting from spinal cord lesions. Congenital abnormalities must be considered in the differential diagnoses for very young calves. Non-neurologic conditions, including fractures of the limbs and especially nutritional muscular dystrophy, must be ruled out. In older cattle, compressive neoplasms, most notably lymphosarcoma, are primarily responsible for progressive paresis. Differential diagnosis should include other neurologic conditions such as delayed organophosphate neurotoxicity; early progressive diffuse neurologic diseases such as rabies, pseudorabies, and botulism; plant toxicities; and non-neurologic conditions resulting in recumbency, such as hypocalcemia and musculoskeletal trauma.     

Pig slaughtering procedures: time to loss of brain responsiveness after exsanguination of cardiac arrest

The time taken for a conventional chest stick to produce the loss of flash-evoked responsiveness in the electrocorticogram of anaesthetised pigs was compared with a method involving fibrillation of the heart. On average severing the brachiocephalic trunk and anterior vena cava took 18 seconds to induce a loss of brain responsiveness, and inducing cardiac fibrillation took 19 seconds. It is concluded that a pig slaughtering method that stuns the brain and at the same time fibrillates the heart is likely to be more humane than the conventional slaughtering methods where there is a delay between the stunning and sticking operations.     

Clinical Technique: Myelography in Rabbits

Spinal disease in rabbits is most often the result of trauma; however, other causes have been reported including congenital defects and degenerative spinal diseases. Diagnosis of spinal disease is based on history, physical and neurologic examination findings, and imaging. Fractures and luxations of the spine are often apparent on plain radiographs; however, myelography is used to determine if the lesion is causing spinal cord compression that may be amenable to surgical decompression. Unless intervertebral discs are mineralized, they are not visible when viewing plain radiographic images; therefore, myelography may be useful to diagnose spinal cord compression from a herniated disc. Myelography can also define lesions that do not result in a disruption of the osseous vertebral architecture such as tumors and granulomas. In rabbits, myelography is performed when the animal is under general anesthesia and in lateral recumbency. A nonionic iodinated contrast agent is injected into the subarachnoid space, usually at the level of the lumbar spine, to outline the spinal cord and identify cord compressive or disruptive lesions.     

Religious slaughter in Italy

This research aims to understand the prevalence of religious slaughter practices in Italy. Two different ways of slaughtering animals are identified. Conventional slaughter is performed with prior stunning; kosher slaughter is practiced without stunning. Halal slaughter is performed for most animals without stunning. Halal slaughter with prior stunning is acceptable for 5.90% of small ruminants. For Halal slaughter in Italy, the terms “religious slaughter with stunning” and “religious slaughter without stunning” should be used to differentiate religious slaughter practices, keeping animal welfare in perspective.

     

秦川肉牛新品系公牛肉用性能研究

 选取发育正常、健康无病、经标准化育肥、年龄为24月龄的秦川肉牛新品系公牛5头进行屠宰及胴体分割,测定屠宰率、净肉率、胴体产肉率、肉骨比等产肉性能指标,并对里脊、西冷、眼肉、上脑、臀肉、胸肉、黄瓜条、牛腩、肋条肉、牛前10个部位取样进行水分、粗灰分、粗蛋白、粗脂肪、剪切力、失水率、系水力和熟肉率8项指标的测定。结果表明,秦川肉牛新品系公牛日增重、屠宰率、产肉率、胴体产肉率、肉骨比等生产性能较传统秦川牛均有较大幅度提高,经过标准化育肥,24月龄时已具备良好的肉用生产性能,达到国际优质肉牛品种标准;秦川肉牛新品系公牛胴体不同部位间肉品质差别较大,通过对其10个部位牛肉品质评定,西冷、上脑、里脊、眼肉为高档肉,肋条肉、臀肉、黄瓜条为中档肉,牛腩、胸肉、牛前为低档肉。     

一例人间炭疽病例的溯源调查及处置

2021年6月20日,陕西省汉中市南郑区农业农村局接到同级卫健部门通报,一名牛羊屠宰人员被确诊患有皮肤炭疽。为查清该病例的病原来源以及病原污染面和畜间发病情况,南郑区动物疾病预防控制中心组织相关专业人员立即对关联的屠宰和养殖环节进行了溯源。综合历史资料、调查结果以及实验室检测结果,认为本次人间炭疽疫情的来源可能为被屠宰的病牛。洪水将过往炭疽病原带出,牛通过采食被污染的水、草感染。因非法屠宰病牛导致出现一定的病原传播。通过采取限制移动、监测、对环境及污染区域严格消毒等措施,经后期检测,证实疫情得到彻底控制。该起疫情警示,要加强牛羊养殖、屠宰从业人员的健康宣传及牛羊屠宰行业的管理,加大对非法屠宰、经营、运输病死畜禽行为的查处力度,以确保牛羊肉消费安全。     

Electrical stunning of red deer (Cervus elaphus)

Eighteen of 23 red deer (Cervus elaphus) at a deer slaughtering premises were successfully stunned with an apparatus modified from that normally used to stun sheep. The five unsuccessful electrical stuns were associated with poor head restraint and poor head contact by the electrodes. The median stunning current was 0.9 A, and in the majority of cases the duration of stunning was less than 1 second. The signs of the electrically induced epileptiform seizures in the deer were dissimilar to those seen in sheep, cattle and pigs, in that the initial tonic phase was less marked, and of shorter duration. A similar shorter and less obvious tonic phase was noted in four deer shot with a captive bolt pistol. Two animals which were electrically stunned, and bled within 10 seconds, showed no signs of recovery while bleeding. The electroencephalograms of four deer stunned with currents of 1.3 A for a duration of either 0.5 or 1.0 seconds were recorded under more controlled conditions. All four animals developed electroencephalograms typical of an epileptiform seizure. The animals exhibited behavioural reactions similar to the other 18 animals in the trial at the deer slaughtering premises and were rendered unconscious for between 54 and 122 seconds. The electroencephalogram activity amplitude was greater than that recorded immediately before stunning and took between 6 and 9 seconds to build up to maximum value. It is concluded that, providing the heads of deer are adequately restrained, head-only electrical stunning can be incorporated into a humane method of slaughter for deer.     

不同屠宰方式对猪肉品质的影响

选用不同致晕、放血法及烫毛方法对140头杜长大和杜大长三元杂商品猪进行屠宰,测定其肌肉的肉色、pH值、剪切力、失水率等指标。结果表明：在其他条件相同的情况下,烫毛水温为60℃时,烫毛6min,胴体质量最佳。电击致晕生猪,采用悬挂放血,有出现PSE猪肉的倾向;而CO2致晕生猪,采用水平放血或悬挂放血,肉质指标差异不显著。较好的组合是：电击致晕生猪,采用水平放血;而CO2致晕生猪,采用悬挂放血较好。     

夏洛莱牛和西门塔尔牛育肥及屠宰性能对比试验研究

[目的]试验旨在研究青海省引进夏洛莱牛的育肥效果、屠宰性状和肉质品质,评估夏洛莱牛在青海省推广及杂交利用的可行性,[方法]在青海锦绣农业发展有限公司开展了引进6月龄夏洛莱牛与本地自繁6月龄西门塔尔牛的育肥对比试验,最后对15月龄夏洛莱牛和本地西门塔尔牛进行屠宰性能测定,分析其屠宰性能、胴体和肉质品质的差异。[结果]结果表明,夏洛莱牛在青海西宁育肥后可达到屠宰率57.80%,净肉率46.40%,胴体产肉率80.30%,肉骨比4.23,各项指标均优于本地西门塔尔牛;夏洛莱牛肉中必需氨基酸含量及必需脂肪酸含量分别为7.96%和3.29%,与本地西门塔尔牛无显著差异。[结论]综上所述,夏洛莱牛具有良好的生长性能和屠宰性能,其肉质营养水平与本地西门塔尔牛接近,因此,夏洛莱牛适合在本地育肥并推广。     

Animal-derived feeds as possible vectors for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Germany. 1. Comparative risk assessment for a single animal food of animal origin

The occurrence of BSE cases in Germany after the ban of meat and bone meal for ruminant feed in 1994 requires a detailed investigation of animal derived feedstuffs regarding their specific risks as vectors for the disease. Accepting the theory that BSE is a prion transmitted disease, the theoretical infectious potential was calculated for animal derived feedstuffs. This calculation was based on the assumption, that risk material (brain, spinal cord) of one clinically diseased cattle was rendered in the process as established in Germany (133 degrees C, 3 bar, 20 min) or, alternatively, that one diseased animal was slaughtered resulting in normal processing of the by-products for human food production. From this risk assessment it became obvious that meat and bone meal was one, but probably not the most important source for the spreading of BSE. Taking into account the high sensitivity of calves it can be speculated that certain products, e.g. from bone processing (bone meal) and fat melting (mixed animal fats), commonly used for the formulation of milk replacers, might have been more important as pathways. As it can't be excluded retrospectively that infected meat and bone meal was imported from the UK, this non-calculable influence may have been related to the significance of the other products. The calculation model underlines that efficient removal of specified risk material (brain, spinal cord) and adequate processing (133 degrees C, 3 bar, 20 min) or alternatively other equivalent treatments of fats are prerequisites for minimising the risk of feed borne transmission of BSE by animal derived feedstuffs. The epidemiological consequences are part of a subsequent paper.     

利用奶公牛育肥生产高档牛肉

[目的]为了提高奶公牛育肥效率,拓展奶公牛高档牛肉市场。[方法]本研究通过对32头奶公牛分三组进行育肥、屠宰和分割肉实验。[结果]发现95%精料的A组屠宰率显著高于80%精料的B组（P〈0.05）,宰前活重和胴体重均数高于B组,但差异不显著（P＆gt;0.05）;80%精料饲养10月龄的C组在宰前活重和胴体重显著高于B组（P〈0.05）;在高档分割肉占胴体重比例上：B组＆gt;A组＆gt;C组。[结论]实验证明影响奶公牛育肥屠宰性状的主要因素是月龄,利用奶公牛育肥生产高档部位分割肉可以达到胴体重的2.85%。