Small-scale and mobile slaughter

Last changed: 22 January 2025
Photo: A woman watching cattle, waiting in a que for entering the mobile slaughter house.

Animal welfare and meat quality at mobile and stationary slaughter of cattle

The project was conducted from 2014 to 2018, aiming to:

  • Compare the conditions for good animal welfare and meat quality at mobile and stationary slaughter of cattle.
  • Suggest changes to slaughter routines and animal management in mobile and stationary slaughter of cattle in order to improve animal welfare and meat quality.

A mobile and a large-scale stationary slaughterhouse was followed for just over a year. Observations of a total of 596 animals were carried out regarding animal management and animal behavior during driving to the stun box and in the stun box, blood chemistry at bleeding, carcass characteristics, veterinary inspection findings and meat quality after 7 days of tendering by hanging.

The project was a scientific collaboration with RISE Research Institutes of Sweden (formerly SP Food & Bioscience). Collaboration also took place with Hälsingestintan AB and a slaughterhouse company with large-scale stationary slaughter.

Participants at the department were associate professor Jan Hultgren, professor Lotta Berg, researcher Katarina Arvidsson Segerkvist, professor Anders H. Karlsson, professor emeritus Bo Algers, research technician Anne Larsen and research technician Karin Wallin.

The project was financed with funds from the Marie-Claire Cronstedt Foundation, the Swedish Animal Welfare Association, Basen AB och Caroline Ankarcrona.

Facts:

Publications:

  • Hultgren, J., Arvidsson Segerkvist, K., Berg, C., Karlsson, A.H., Algers, B., 2020. Animal handling and stress-related behaviour at mobile slaughter of cattle. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 177C, 104959, doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.104959.
  • Arvidsson Segerkvist, K, Hultgren, J., Wallin, K., Larsen, A. & Karlsson, A.H., 2018. Is mobile abattoir beneficial for meat quality? Proceedings, 64th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, Melbourne, Australia, 12-17 August 2018, abstract.
  • Arvidsson Segerkvist, K., Karlsson, A. & Hultgren, J., 2018. Is slaughter at a mobile abattoir beneficial for meat quality? Proceedings, 26th Congress of the Nordic Association of Agricultural Scientists, "Agriculture for the Next 100 Years", Kaunas, Lithuania, 27-29 June 2018, abstract, Section B, p. 31.
  • Hultgren, J., Algers, B., Arvidsson Segerkvist, K., Berg, L., Karlsson, S., Larsen, S., Wallin, K., & Öhgren, C., 2018. Small-scale and mobile slaughter of cattle: Animal welfare and meat quality. Executive summary of final scientific report. SLU, Dept. of Animal Environment and Health, Skara, Report 49.
  • Hultgren, J., Algers, B., Arvidsson Segerkvist, K., Berg, L., Karlsson, S., Larsen, S., Wallin, K., & Öhgren, C., 2018. Småskalig och mobil slakt av nötkreatur: Djurvälfärd och köttkvalitet. Final scientific report. SLU, Dept. of Animal Environment and Health, Skara, Report 48. (In Swedish with English summary)
  • Hultgren, J., Algers, B. & Berg, C., 2018. Djurvälfärd vid mobil slakt av nötkreatur. Svensk Veterinärtidning 70 (8), 11-16. (In Swedish with English summary)
  • Hultgren, J., Arvidsson-Segerkvist, K. & Karlsson, A., 2018. Slaktkroppsegenskaper och köttkvalitet vid mobil slakt av nötkreatur. Svensk Veterinärtidning 70 (9), 22-26. (In Swedish with English summary)
  • Hultgren, J., Berg, C. & Algers, B., 2018. Animal welfare concerns in mobile cattle slaughter. Proceedings, 3rd Animal Welfare Science Symposium, Uppsala, 2-3 May 2018. Presentation by Jan Hultgren.
  • Hultgren, J., Berg, C. & Algers, B., 2018. Pre-slaughter cattle handling and stress in mobile slaughter. Proceedings, European Congress of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine and Animal Welfare, Berlin, Germany, 27-29 September 2018, abstract. Presentation by Jan Hultgren.
  • Hultgren, J., Berg, C., Karlsson, A.H., Schiffer, K.J. & Algers, B., 2018. On-farm slaughter – ethical implications and prospects. I: Springer, S. & Grimm, H., eds., Professionals in food chains. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, Netherlands, p. 146-151. Presentation by Jan Hultgren.
  • Hultgren, J., Berg, C., Schiffer, K.J. och Algers, B., 2018. On-farm slaughter of cattle – prospects for efficient veterinary inspection and good animal welfare. Book of abstracts, Nordic Meeting on the Modernisation of Meat Control and Animal Welfare Inspection at slaughterhouses, Uppsala, Sweden, 7-8 March 2018, abstract, p. 16. Presentation by Jan Hultgren.
  • Karlsson, A., 2018. Kan jag påverka mina djurs köttkvalitet? Gård & Djurhälsans Nötköttsseminarium, Ängelholm, Sweden, 25 January 2018. Presentation by Anders Karlsson. (In Swedish)
  • Karlsson, A., Öhgren, C. & Hultgren, J., 2018. Är mobil slakt gynnsam för köttkvaliteten? Studiebesök Gröna Möten på Götala nöt- och lammköttscentrum med föredrag om tekniska innovationer och metoder för en jämnare köttkvalitet, Skara, Sweden, 12 April 2018. Interreg Öresund-Kattegatt-Skagerrak. Presentation by Anders Karlsson and Camilla Öhgren. (In Swedish)
  • Hultgren, J., Berg, C. och Algers, B., 2017. Associations between driving actions and animal stress in mobile slaughter of cattle. Proceedings, XVIII International Congress on Animal Hygiene, Mazatlán, Mexico, 17-23 March 2017, extended abstract, p. 36-39.
  • Hultgren, J., Berg, C., Arvidsson Segerkvist, K. och Algers, B., 2016. Mobile abattoirs as a means to reduce stress in slaughter cattle. Proceedings, European Congress on Animal Welfare & Behavioural Medicine, Cascais, Portugal, 20-22 October 2016, abstract, p. 25.
  • Jonsson, K., 2016. Mobil och småskalig slakt av idisslare – bättre än storskalig stationär slakt för djuren och köttkvaliteten? First-cycle graduation work, G2E. (In Swedish with English summary).

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