Ritual slaughter: animal friendly slaughter and protection of animals in Islam

A report is given on history and procedures of ritual slaughter from the point of view of a Moslem representative. The term sacrifice and the religious meaning of the offering feast are explained on the basis of the Abrahamian tradition. The social aspect of ritual slaughter is that two thirds of the slaughtered animal are given to the poor or served as meal to guests and relatives. One third is saved for the own family only. The Islamic religion acknowledges the responsibility of man for animals as creatures of god whose life and well-being have to be protected, nobody is allowed to subject animals to pain, suffering and damage without a sound reason. The ritual slaughter aims at complete debleeding. Blood is symbol life and soul and the breath of life. It must leave the body completely before consumption because it is not allowed to eat animals alive. Electric stunning is allowed if the animal is unconscious and not dead. The consumption of dead animals is forbidden by religion. It is recommended to introduce more veterinarian expert knowledge in the discussion.     

Export of live animals for slaughter

Sir:- The Animal Welfare Subcommittee of the New Zealand Veterinary Association is currently examining the animal welfare implications of the export of live animals for slaughter. While this is in particular reference to the shippiing of sheep from New Zealand to the Middle East, we are also interested in the broader philosophical aspect of such trade.     

Method for the simultaneous determination of aflatoxins B1 and M1 in the liver of slaughter animals

The method used by Egmond et al. (1979) was chosen from a number of methods recommended for the determination of aflatoxins in raw materials of animal origin. This method is described in detail to facilitate its use in practice in cases of forced slaughters of animals suspected of aflatoxicosis. The sensitivity of the method for aflatoxin B1 and M1 is about 0.05 micrograms . kg-1. On the whole, 88 liver samples were examined for the presence of the aflatoxins B1 and M1. The samples had been obtained from the slaughtered pigs (52), bulls (23), cows (6), calves (5), and from deceased pigs (2). Positive findings were obtained in five of sixteen pork liver samples and in two of the tested five samples of calf liver. All of these animals were suspected of aflatoxicosis. At current slaughter, only one case of 36 examined pigs was found to be positive. Aflatoxin M1 was found more frequently than aflatoxin B1. However, the findings never exceeded the concentration of 100 ng . kg-1; this is less by 1.5 orders than the proposed tolerated concentration for adult animals (5 micrograms . kg-1).     

Study on the possible presence of aflatoxin B 1 in liver and muscle tissue of slaughter animals]

Seventy-seven samples of liver (from pigs, bulls, cows, broiler chickens, layers), twenty-eight samples of white muscle (from pigs, broilers, layers), and twenty-four samples of red muscle (from pigs, broilers, layers) were examined by the modified Jacobson method (Jacobson et al. 1971) for the contingent presence of aflatoxin B1. The samples came from healthy animals, part of them from animals fed non-traditional feed containing pig excrements. Positive findings were only obtained in two samples of pork liver, out of the total number of 30 samples. One sample came from pigs fed a ration containing 5% of pig excrements, the other from a traditionally fed pig. The amounts of aflatoxin B1 found in these two samples can be treated as trace quantities, since the concentration did not exceed 0.1 microgram per kg. In the samples of muscle and liver of the other farm animals, the chromatogram did not show the presence of spots which might resemble, in colour and position, the spots of aflatoxin B1.     

动物铅毒性研究进展

铅污染是个严重的社会公共卫生问题,本文综述了动物生产领域对铅的研究结果。内容包括:①动物生产中铅的来源。②铅在动物体内的吸收、分布和代谢。③铅对动物的危害及其机理。④铅与其他养分之间的关系。⑤饲料中铅的最大允许量。     

Psycho-social stress in humans at mass slaughter of farm animals

Animal epidemics are part of everyday life in animal husbandry, as are the psychosocial effects of the killing/slaughter of animals on the animal keeper. So here we are talking about everyday life observations of concerned people and veterinarians. But now, after the mass slaughter of contaminated animals in conjunction with BSE and MKS, society and the church have taught us to take a much closer look and we now realise that pathological traumatic states are to be considered almost universal concomitant phenomena. Rural families as well as the veterinarians and slaughtering teams involved (Keulungsteams) have to bear the emotional consequences of the circumstances of the loss of these animal for a long time. For the sake of people and the vitalization of the human-animal-relationship the pastoral service ("Kirchlicher Dienst") has initiated an oecumenically organised and specially trained pastoral care task force in Lower Saxony. Its intention is to support the initiation of trauma coverage regarding psycho-religious ways of connectivity at the entrance point of the crisis.     

Human health hazards associated with the administration of antimicrobials to slaughter animals. Part I. An assessment of the risks of residues of tetracyclines in pork

This article describes the assessment of consumer risks of residues of tetracyclines in slaughter pigs in the Netherlands. The assessed risks were toxic and allergic reactions, and the disturbance of the consumers' intestinal flora. Toxic and allergic reactions in humans and animals have only been observed at therapeutic doses, affecting between an estimated 1 in 5,000 and one 1 in 140,000 individuals exposed. Residues of tetracyclines in pigs are closely associated with treatment with injectable formulations. Established Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) do not reflect actual consumer risks in case a limit is violated incidentally. For example, when the established MRLs for tetracyclines in meat are exceeded with a factor 400, 40,000, and 200,000, respectively, the actual risk of an adverse drug reaction for the consumer following a single consumption of this meat is maximally 1 in 3 million, 1 in 300,000, and 1 in 8,000, respectively. At the current estimated low levels of incidental exposure via pork, the annual risk of negative health effects for a random consumer is estimated at maximally 1 in 33 million. The annual risk that a temporary disturbance of the intestinal flora may also result in a facilitated infection with certain enteropathogens, such as Salmonella spp., is estimated at 1 in 45 million. It is concluded that the current microbiological risks of pork are greater than the risks of residues of tetracyclines as such, and that the control of the microbiological risks of pork should therefore be given first priority.     

A study of cystic echinococcosis in slaughter animals in three selected areas of northern Turkana, Kenya.

In an attempt to establish the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis, a study was conducted in slaughter animals in three divisions of northern Turkana, Kenya. A total of 5752 goats, 588 sheep, 381 cattle and 70 camels were examined at slaughter. Echinococcus granulosus metacestodes were found in 19.4% of the cattle, 3.6% of sheep, 4.5% of goats and 61.4% of camels. The prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in cattle, sheep and goats was higher in Lokichogio than in either Kakuma or Central divisions. On the other hand, the prevalence of the disease in camels was higher in Central (84.6%) than either Lokichogio (70.6%) or Kakuma (50%). The differences in prevalence rates in different study areas are attributed to differences in environmental conditions, livestock stocking intensity and cross-border migration of livestock.     

Lead in the organs and tissues of slaughter cattle as a result of environmental pollution]

The normal values of lead in the organs and tissues of clinically healthy slaughter cattle were determined by the method of atomic absorption spectrophotometry and by the polarographic method. Animals of various age categories came from several farms of the East-Slovakian region. The lead found in the liver of young fattened cattle was not determined polarographically, since its concentration was under the threshold of sensitivity of the method (1.0 ppm). In the older category of animals (4-16 years old dairy cows) the following lead levels were revealed by the method of atomic absorption spectrophotometry: liver: (n = 76) 1.4 ppm, kidney cortex (n = 51) 1.5 ppm, bone tissue (n = 37) 3.3 ppm, muscle (n = 24) 1.0 ppm. The animals coming from different places had diverse amounts of lead in their tissues. The fact that the organs and tissues of slaughter cattle contained lead as a non-biogenic element is attributed mainly to environment pollution. The normal concentrations of lead, as determined in our study, can be used in chemical diagnosis of poisoning and in the evaluation of the hygienic safety of foodstuffs of animal origin.     

Identification of residual antibiotics in the tissues of slaughter animals using electrophoresis bioautography]

An electrophoretic identification chart of the antibiotics penicillin, streptomycin, neomycin, erythromycin, tylosin and tetracyclines was made. Minimum inhibiting concentrations of the above antibiotics were determined for the bacterial tester-strains Bacillus subtilis BGA, Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341 and Bacillus stearothermophillus v. calidolactis C 953. The obtained results were applied to identify residues of antibacterial substances in the tissues of slaughter animals, milk and other samples, as a follow-up of detection microbiological methods of plate agar diffusion.     

Findings of Yersinia in slaughter pigs, synantropic animals and workers in meat products in a defined region

In 15 selected stocks in the Strakonice district, 507 slaughter pigs, 708 small terrestric mammals and 110 free-living birds were examined in a two-year period (1986-1987) to study the occurrence of carriers of yersiniae and their elimination. Rectal smears from 243 persons working in livestock production were examined in the same way. Standard bacteriological methods, recent examination procedures (Aulisio et al., 1980; Aldová, 1981) and a diagnostic antiserum (03 IMUNA Sarisské Michalany) were used for the examination. The following results were obtained: In pigs: 1. yersiniae were detected in 65 cases (12.8%); of this, in 31 cases they occurred in the tonsils, in 35 cases in ileum, and twice in the ileocaecal lymph nodes. 2. Epidemiologically significant Y. enterocolitica 4;03 was detected in 28 cases (5.5%); of this, 22 times in the tonsils, 7 times in ileum, and once in the ileocaecal lymph nodes. 3. The seasonal nature of the occurrence of yersiniae was confirmed in 1986, with maxima in winter-spring, but in 1987 their occurrence declined substantially to less than a quarter. In the small mammals, yersiniae were detected 28 times (4%); of this, 7 times in common field mouse, 11 times in common vole, 5 times in house mouse, twice in shrew, once in Apodemus flavicollis, and once in Apodemus sp. 2. Y. enterocolitica 4;03 was detected twice (0.26%), both cases in the house mouse. Other results: 1. In all the 110 free-living birds the examination for yersiniae had a negative result; 2. in the rectal smears of 243 persons employed in livestock production, yersiniae were identified twice (0.8%)--in one case Y. enterocolitica 1, in the other Y. enterocolitica biovars 1 and 2.     

The histopathology of fatty liver and kidney syndrome in chicks.

Studies of the general histopathology of the fatty liver and kidney syndrome in chickens have shown abnormal accumulations of the lipid in a variety of organs but no degenerative or inflammatory reactions. Lipid was found in some skeletal muscles, alimentary tract, autonomic ganglia, central nervous system and pineal gland as well as in the liver, kidney and heart. Small amounts of lipid were sometimes seen in the exocrine pancreas, adrenal medulla and epithelium of the thyroid follicles. Lipid deposits in the liver were primarily associated with the hepatic structural unit. The glycogen content of the hepatic cell was reduced. The lipid-metabolising gastrocnemius muscle contained abnormal amounts of lipid but this did not apply to the carbohydrate-metabolising pectoralis major muscle. The thymus did not contain excessive lipid but was significantly smaller in affected than in control birds of similar ages. There was loss of tinctorial distinction between the cortex and medulla of the adrenal gland associated with decreased basophilia of the latter region. Many of these morphological changes can be correlated with previously reported biochemical findings and they are discussed in relation to the hyperlipaemia and hypoglycaemia which characterise the disease.