On Feb. 10, 2026, the Meat Institute published updated versions of the Animal Welfare Audit and the Meat Industry Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines, reinforcing the industry’s commitment to humane animal handling, employee safety and continuous improvement.

The Audit and Guidelines were authored by the Meat Institute’s Animal Welfare Committee, working with Colorado State University Professor of Animal Behavior Temple Grandin. The audit is certified by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization.

“Humane animal handling is a core responsibility of meat packers and a foundational element of a safe and ethical food system,” said Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of the Meat Institute. “These updated Guidelines and Audit reflect the latest science and best practices, giving companies the tools they need to protect animal welfare, support their workforce, and deliver wholesome food to consumers around the world.”

Packer/processor members that complete the Animal Welfare Audit actively align with the Meat Institute's Protein PACT goal that by 2030, 100% of Meat Institute members who handle live animals will pass third party animal transport and slaughter audits.

The primary changes to the updated Audit and Guidelines include:

• Points for each criterion allowing users to set goals for each element of the Audit for continuous improvement.
• Transportation and slaughter audit for bison.
• Vocalization of cattle in the slaughter Audit will now be scored similarly to swine vocalization to maintain consistency across species.

The Meat Institute will host a webinar – open to the public – on Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. Eastern to detail the recent updates made to the Audit and Guidelines.

The Meat Institute will also highlight these changes at this year’s Animal Care and Handling Conference May 12 – 13 in Kansas City, Mo. The conference will focus on improving animal welfare throughout the supply chain, the latest academic research, and applying best practices.

The audit was originally developed by the Meat Institute’s Animal Welfare Committee and Grandin in 1997, and its adoption by meat companies helped transform how livestock are handled and processed in meat plants.  By measuring objective criteria like animal vocalizations, falls, the movement of animals, and effective stunning, facilities evaluate their animal handling practices, identify problems and drive continuous improvement.

Source: Meat Institute