When handling their livestock, operators must ensure the welfare of their animals. Dr. Kurt D. Vogel, director of the Humane Handling Institute and associate professor–animal welfare and behavior in the Department of Animal and Food Science at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, discusses best practices and current issues related to humane handling.
Vogel has previously stated that most Humane Handling Enforcement Actions issued by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service were related to stunning, and this trend seems to have continued into the past year. “We are currently analyzing the results of our annual assessment, but the preliminary results indicate that stunning continued to be the predominant cause of Humane Handling Enforcement Actions in 2022,” Vogel said.