The United States perspective towards poultry slaughter

Handling and immobilizing animals prior to slaughter can be viewed from three interrelated and sometimes competing perspectives: processing efficiency, worker safety, and humaneness. Efforts to pass laws requiring humane slaughter of livestock and poultry spanned over 60 yr. The first, The Humane Slaughter Act of 1958, Public Law 85-765, applicable only to livestock plants supplying meat to the Federal Government, passed because of the right mix of available technology, experience with stunning methods, and moral suasion. This proposed law was not supported by the Department of Agriculture because of concerns over anticipated problems with its administration. The 1958 law became effective in 1960 and did not include humane slaughter requirements for ritual handling. By 1977, 26 states had enacted their own humane slaughter laws to cover livestock packers not included under the federal statute. The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1978 extended the 1958 requirements to all livestock slaughter facilities, both federal and state, including facilities in foreign countries exporting to the U.S. The Department of Agriculture supported the 1978 legislation. The poultry industry was not included in either law primarily because electrical stunning was being used for the majority of birds slaughtered. The technology to humanely slaughter poultry is widely used but not all poultry are stunned before slaughter. Experience with stunning technology has shown well-defined production efficiency. Expanded use of stunning methods and research to confirm effectiveness from a humane slaughter perspective is needed to assure consumers that the industry will voluntarily continue humane practices.