title: Effect of animal welfare audits of slaughter plants by a major fast food company on cattle handling and stunning practices.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the percentages of cattle that are stunned correctly and that vocalize (moo or bellow) when a major meat-buying customer conducts slaughter plant audits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey of existing practices.
  
  
  METHODS
  22 federally inspected slaughter plants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 3 variables evaluated in each slaughter plant were stunning efficacy, insensibility on the bleed rail, and vocalization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 22 slaughter plants, 17 (77%) rendered > or = 95% of the cattle insensible with a single shot from a captive bolt stunner. Twenty slaughter plants (91%) rendered 100% of the cattle completely insensible before hanging them on the bleed rail. Eighteen of 21 (86%) slaughter plants achieved cattle vocalization scores of < or = 3%. The mean vocalization score for all slaughter plants was 3.08%. Vocalization ranged from 0.66 to 17%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this study indicate that audits of slaughter plants by major meat-buying customers may motivate the meat industry to improve handling and stunning practices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1171, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grandin
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs / Q000941:ethics*; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000941:ethics*; D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000941:ethics*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D014481:United States; D016885:United States Department of Agriculture / Q000592:standards; D014828:Vocalization, Animal