Work focuses on aspects related to Halal slaughter

During the Halal CTEC, FAMBRAS Halal's technical quality manager, Soha Chabrawi, presented a comparison between the rotating and conventional boxes used during Halal slaughter. Both are devices that restrain the cow to minimize risks to the slaughterer.

Soha Chabrawi holds a bachelor's and a teaching degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Brasília, a master's degree in Neuropsychopharmacology from the University of Brasília, and a PhD in Neuroscience and Cognition from the Federal University of ABC. She has worked at the certification agency for seven years.

Dr. Soha, what led you to choose this topic for your work? What was your intention behind it?

Currently, many plants use pneumatic stunning due to the risk of live cattle being slaughtered. Since some of our markets do not allow this type of stunning, the alternative would be to use a rotating enclosure to prevent the animal from accessing the slaughterer, reducing the risk to it. Furthermore, the benefits to the animal—it feels less pain when slaughtered live than with a stunner—and to the quality of the meat are also scientifically proven.

Can you explain to us, didactically, what a conventional box is?

The conventional box is a device in which the animal enters and is restrained for the purpose of throat cutting. Some researchers call it a restraint box. In this conventional box, the animal is positioned in its usual position, with its paws on the ground, and its head is supported by the chin rest for the purpose of throat cutting.

What about the rotating shower enclosure?

The rotating box is a restraint box that rotates 180 degrees, allowing the animal to stand with its paws up. Ergonomically speaking, it provides easier access to the neck for the decapitator. Research shows that, in some situations, this position may even be less stressful for the animal. Other studies have demonstrated an increase in corticosteroid levels. Therefore, there is no clear opinion on this topic. However, what is known is that it is very effective in replacing the use of any type of stunner.

In your work, you've demonstrated two concerns. The first was animal welfare. What does Halal slaughter require in this regard?

Halal slaughter and animal welfare go hand in hand. One cannot exist without the other, as the main premise of Halal slaughter is that it be a ritual that respects the animal and ensures that it suffers as little as possible. All stages of Halal slaughter adhere to the principles of animal welfare: the resting time before slaughter, the positioning of the animal in the box or on the conveyor belt in the case of poultry, the absence of water restrictions before slaughter, and the care taken to ensure that the animal does not see or smell blood before slaughter, or even that it does not see the slaughtering instrument to be used, i.e., the knife. All these precautions are mandatory requirements of Halal slaughter and contribute to the least possible suffering of the animal before slaughter.

What conclusion did you reach through your study? What needs to be done to ensure the animal's well-being?

The study itself wasn't focused on animal welfare, as this is already guaranteed with halal slaughter. However, the study compared animal stress in a conventional pen versus a rotating pen. Statistics didn't show that animals slaughtered in the rotating pen suffered less than those slaughtered in the conventional pen, but our numbers were too low to be able to guarantee anything with certainty. However, there was a trend that demonstrated that those slaughtered in the rotating pen suffered less based on several stress parameters analyzed. Furthermore, the physical effort required by the slaughterer was noticeably lower in this apparatus.

In your paper, you stated that "the rotary box used in Brazil, when compared to the conventional box, offers simple ergonomic advantages, being safer for the slaughterer, as it causes fewer back and wrist injuries." How can this information be communicated to slaughterhouses to protect the health of these slaughterers? What are the expectations in this regard?

Through a lot of training and awareness of the slaughterhouses.

Finally, what is your assessment of CTec Halal?

Because it was the first, I truly believe it was very well organized, including the variety of topics presented. However, it was clear that many of the reviewers hadn't read the papers, and I believe this influenced the final questions. Another point is that the presentation time was too short to allow for the explanation of such a complex work. I suggest reevaluating these points.