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Whole Foods Market recently announced it will phase out live-shackle slaughter from its chicken suppliers at all U.S. locations by 2026, becoming the first major retailer to follow the Better Chicken Commitment.
A few years ago, Jessica Roosa, owner of This Old Farm, based in Colfax, Ind., was trying to solve employee turnover issues on the slaughter floor and began investigating solutions for her small, aged facility that is a custom service processor of beef, pork, lamb and poultry. What she discovered was changes that helped staff also helped her animals.
Of the many processes necessary to take a live animal and convert it to meat suitable for the dinner table, the kill step has long been the most controversial.
Slaughterhouse operations are evolving. Propelled by advancements in technology and methodologies, plants are producing higher quality proteins with a greater emphasis on food safety and the humane treatment of animals.
When it comes to electrically stunned animals, processors can observe a variety of indicators to determine unconsciousness but should avoid using the corneal reflex.
Processors face a variety of trials with slaughter equipment. It is a real challenge to design equipment that is durable, easy to maintain and capable of work cycling in environments that have large changes in temperature and humidity. In addition, processors still need to protect workers and be concerned about food safety.