Pre-slaughter broiler injuries in the Netherlands a cause for concern
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has expressed significant concern regarding the welfare of poultry destined for slaughter. However, after a court ruling, it can no longer enforce penalties for injuries in broiler chickens. Poultry producers asked for the ruling, arguing that the exact cause of injury can’t be determined.
Recently the court ruled in an appeal brought by 4 poultry producers that the NVWA’s method for determining catching injuries is not scientifically substantiated. The injuries recorded by veterinarians at the slaughter line could also have occurred at other stages in the chain – for example, during transport or at the slaughterhouse itself. As the court found it was not clear when the animal sustained the injury, the NVWA was unable to determine who should be fined for the offence.
Other methods
The authority is now investigating what alternative methods might be possible to determine the precise moment when the injury occurred. Lisette de Ruigh, director of processing supervision at NVWA, said: “Despite the uncertainty regarding the moment at which the injury occurred, it is a fact that the animals incur these injuries from the moment they are placed in the rearing house until they hang on the slaughter line. We hold the various chain partners responsible for this and, in our view, they are liable. We will engage in discussions with the chain partners – several of whom I know are taking this issue very seriously – regarding the situation that has arisen. We will, in any case, continue to monitor for injuries in the slaughterhouses and will further deliberate on the enforcement of these measures.”
Progress has been made
Due to the joint efforts of the chain and stricter enforcement by the NVWA, catching injuries in poultry have sharply decreased since 2017. At that time, 27% of Dutch poultry flocks still exhibited injuries above the enforcement threshold; this has now dropped to 2% of the flocks.
De Ruigh: “That is an excellent result, also thanks to the efforts of several chain partners. Despite the reduction, the number of animals with injuries at the slaughter line is still too high. We are still talking about millions of animals per year that suffer pain.”
Unjust fines
The Ministry of Agriculture wishes to engage in discussions with the NVWA regarding the current situation. A spokesperson said: “The ministry has taken note of the ruling. We are keen to engage with the NVWA to assess what is now necessary on this subject.”
The poultry industry has reacted positively to the ruling, as the Dutch Poultry Producers’ Union (NVP) stated that poultry producers have been subjected to unjust fines for years. The NVP is investigating whether poultry producers can collectively recover the fines imposed by the NVWA over the years.
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