What are the rules on animal slaughter? – Europe1

1:30 horror. The images, filmed by hidden camera L214 association are unsustainable. Animals are sent to slaughter blows hooks or electric shock by employees of Mauleon-Licharre slaughterhouse in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques. Cattle and sheep are bled, and some cut while they are still conscious. 1:30 horror captured by this group that campaigns against animal abuse (watch images may offend), raising issues about animal slaughtering methods, especially as described slaughterhouse is certified organic and Label Rouge. What is the law? The main points that frame slaughterhouses:

• The animal welfare is a priority. Since 2013, all abattoirs in France are required to designate in their staff “responsible for the welfare of animals, which is the guarantor of the proper application of measures for the welfare of animals,” says ministry of Agriculture. The staff of all French and European abattoirs which should be trained to not make animals suffer, and that, in all of the animal routing phases until slaughter.

• Stun the animal is required. This is precisely one the points on which the association wishes to alert L214. In the video, we can indeed see an animal be cut in half while still conscious. One point on which the regulation is however very clear: an animal must be “kept in a state of unconsciousness and insensibility until his death” unless slaughter is practiced in a religious ritual

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• What are the rules to stun an animal? Several methods are possible to stun an animal, all detailed in a government order dated 1997. Thus, according to the law, an animal can be stunned with a captive bolt pistol (a legal process that is otherwise implicated in the video published by L214), percussion using a captive bolt (a L214 also criticized by legal process yet), electrocution or electrical stunning (electric shock through the brain of animal), as well as by exposure to carbon dioxide. And, whatever the method used, it must maintain the animal unconscious until his death.

• What are the rules for ritual slaughter? in the case of ritual slaughter, it is halal or kosher, stunning the animal n is not mandatory. This type of slaughter must be in “approved slaughterhouses expressly granted an authorization to waive the obligation to stun,” said the Ministry of Agriculture. This distinction is made because the slaughterhouses must be equipped with “elastic materials conform” to “immobilize animals before bleeding”. This ritual slaughter is subject to a number of derogations provided by the law of the European Union, which allows in theory, only the slaughter when the animal is stunned beforehand. Also, the priests must hold a certificate of competence Animal Protection (CCPA) and be empowered by religious bodies approved by the Minister of Agriculture that are the Great Mosque of Paris, the Lyon Mosque and the Mosque Evry for halal slaughter and the Chief Rabbinate of France for kosher slaughter.

• What are the rules for slaughter bio or Red Label? in his video the L214 combination points to the fate of animals in the slaughterhouse of Pyrénées-Atlantiques where out organic and Label Rouge products. But finally these labels are changing logging practices? Not really. In fact, these labels relate primarily farming methods. For example an organic chicken or stamped Label Rouge has been higher minimum 81 days against 40 days for a label without chicken. As regards the slaughter as such, a slaughterhouse must obtain a certificate AB (for organic agriculture) in order to kill and cut up animals from the organic sector. But ultimately, this certificate, which is very similar to the Red Label primarily concerns the transport time of the animal, which must not exceed one day. Animals reared in organic farming should also be placed in a separate park in the slaughterhouse and it is forbidden to calm the animals with tranquilizers during transport. After just like the classic slaughter, animals must be stunned before slaughter. In summary, the flaws highlighted by the L214 association are not linked to the fact that the slaughterhouse filmed is organic and Label Rouge because the rules do not change.

• is a veterinarian always present? the Ministry of Agriculture does not require continuous presence of a veterinarian in abattoirs. In contrast, the departmental directorates for the protection of people there carry out regular checks to verify the success “of capital transactions, stunning, slaughter and killing,” the ministry said. The stock is also checked to ensure that it is used “in a manner consistent with the regulations”.

“Two morons.” Despite these veterinary inspections and regulation, the slaughter of Mauleon-Licharre in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques is now pointed rightly. “I wanted to throw up,” said Gerard Clemente director of the slaughterhouse. “Nobody would have imagined that this could happen. I discussed with the veterinarian who was in tears, no one could have imagined that this was happening at home,” he added, explaining that the abuse were made “two morons.” “Two idiots” who will have to explain since L214 has filed a complaint for abuse, serious physical abuse and cruelty.

Meanwhile, Stéphane Le Foll requested an inspection of all French abattoirs by a month.