Meeting with Meat Processing Systems, NL

Today a team from Eyes on Animals together with Dr. Ellen Eser, humane slaughter specialist and veterinarian from Germany, was asked to meet with MPS. MPS is a large company with headquarters in the Netherlands that makes equipment for conventional and Ritual slaughterhouses (Halal and Kosher) all over the world. They had heard about our efforts to decrease animal suffering and stress from several managers of Dutch slaughterhouses we had worked with and wanted our opinion about certain new systems of theirs. We took advantage of the occasion to encourage them to develope a better manner of restraining animals during ritual slaughter, as currently live-hoisting or 180 degree rotating boxes are not acceptable. Recently MPS sold a rotating box to a new Turkish slaughterhouse. We explained that upright restraint with belly lift was scientifically shown to be less stressful and from a behaviour point of view, made more sense than turning a prey animal on its back. MPS says they are going to try to come up with a new and better idea. Eyes on Animals is in favour of pre-stunning, but as long as Ritual slaughter wihtout stunning continues in many parts of the world, then we see the chances to still reduce some suffering by improving the way animals are lairages, driven along a chute and restrained. We will remain in contact with MPS and hope to also report on positive developments in a few months that were initiated during this meeting.