Pre-Slaughter Stunning of Farmed Atlantic Halibut in CO2-Saturated Seawater: Assessment of Unconsciousness by Electroencephalography (EEG).

As fish welfare becomes a growing concern, it is important to ensure humane treatment during slaughter. This study aimed to assess the onset of unconsciousness in Atlantic halibut immersed in CO2-saturated seawater through electroencephalography (EEG). Of the 29 fish studied, 10 exhibited escape attempts, indicating aversion to CO2-saturated water despite its oxygenation. EEG signals showed four distinct phases: transitional, excitation (high amplitude-high frequency), suppressed, and iso-electric phases. The onset of the suppressed phase, indicative of unconsciousness, occurred on average 258.8 ± 46.2 s after immersion. The spectral analysis of the EEG signals showed a progressive decrease in median frequency, spectral edge frequency, and high frequency contribution, which corresponded to the gradual loss of consciousness. The study concludes that CO2-saturated water is not recommended for pre-slaughter handling of halibut due to the extended time required for the onset of unconsciousness and the observed aversive behaviour. Ensuring humane treatment during slaughter is important for addressing public concern and safeguarding fish welfare in all stages of production.

Slaughtering of Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) with and without Stunning: A Focus on the Neurobiology of Pain, Hyperalgesia, and Sensitization.

The slaughter process in livestock is considered a stressor where the transport and handling of animals, as well as the selected stunning and bleeding methods, can cause acute pain, distress, and suffering. In water buffaloes, although stunning is known to be performed before bleeding to induce unconsciousness, no emphasis is made on the nociceptive events during this process. Particularly, current mechanical stunning methods applied to cattle are unsuitable for water buffaloes due to anatomical differences in the skull from other large ruminants. Furthermore, although very high-pressure pneumatic (200-220 psi) may be effective in the frontal position for lighter-weight water buffalos, for heavier animals, it is less likely to be effective. The present review aims: (1) to analyze the anatomical particularities of water buffaloes to discuss the importance of selecting a stunning method suitable for buffaloes, and (2) to revise the potential pain-related consequences, such as hyperalgesia and sensitization, and the signs to assess the stun quality and death to comprehend the relevance of a proper technique according to the species.

An extended theory of planned behavior to predict consumers' willingness to buy mobile slaughter unit meat.

The current study investigated the determinants of consumers' intention to purchase meat from mobile slaughter units (MSU). The theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the value belief norm theory (VBN) were used as conceptual lenses to guide this investigation. We conducted a survey among 329 respondents in the Netherlands who buy meat for themselves and/or for others. The results indicated that (1) TPB and VBN explain a high proportion of the variance in consumers' intention to buy MSU meat, and that (2) an extended TPB that includes peoples' attitude, personal norm, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control turned out to be the best model to predict willingness to buy MSU meat. Further implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Time to Loss of Consciousness and Its Relation to Behavior in Slaughter Pigs during Stunning with 80 or 95% Carbon Dioxide.

Exposure to CO2 at high concentration is a much debated stunning method in pigs. Pigs respond aversively to high concentrations of CO2, and there is uncertainty about what behaviors occur before and after loss of consciousness. The aim was to assess timing of unconsciousness in pigs during exposure to high concentrations of CO2 based on changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) activity and the relation with the behaviors sniffing, retreat and escape attempts, lateral head movements, jumping, muscular contractions, loss of posture, and gasping. Pigs (108 ± 9 kg) were randomly assigned to 80% CO2 (80C, n = 24) or 95% CO2 (95C, n = 24). The time at which the gondola started descending into the well pre-filled with 80C or 95C was marked as T = 0. The CO2 exposure lasted 346 s after which the corneal reflex and breathing were assessed for 1 min. Visual assessment of changes in the amplitude and frequency of EEG traces after T = 0 was used to determine loss of consciousness. Time to loss of consciousness was longer in 80C pigs (47 ± 6 s) than in 95C pigs (33 ± 7 s). Time to an iso-electric EEG was similar in 80C pigs (75 ± 23 s) and 95C pigs (64 ± 32 s). When pigs descended into the well, the earlier entry of 95C pigs into high CO2 atmosphere rather than the concentration of CO2 by itself affected the latency of behavioral responses and decreasing brain activity. During exposure to the gas, 80C and 95C pigs exhibited sniffing, retreat attempts, lateral head movements, jumping, and gasping before loss of consciousness. 95C pigs exhibited all these behaviors on average earlier than 80C pigs after T = 0. But the interval between onset of these behaviors and loss of consciousness and the duration of these behaviors, except gasping, was similar for both treatments. Loss of posture was on average observed in both groups 10 s before EEG-based loss of consciousness. Furthermore, 88% of 80C pigs and 94% of 95C pigs demonstrated muscular contractions before loss of consciousness. The findings provide little reason to conclude on a behavioral basis that these atmospheres are greatly different in their impact on pig welfare.

Minimally invasive technique based on ultraslow ultrafiltration to collect and store time profiles of analytes.

A device is described to collect and store continuously time profiles of analytes over periods of 24 h suitable to sample freely moving individuals (humans and animals). The device consists of a hollow fiber ultrafiltration probe, a long capillary and a nonmechanical unit (a disposable medical syringe) driven by vacuum to withdraw fluid. The principle is that at low rates (< or = 100 nL/min), sample fluid is collected through the ultrafiltration probe into the capillary. A time resolution of less than 5 min over a 24-h collection and storage period was achieved for lactate and glucose. To illustrate an in vivo application, devices were fixed under the wing of freely moving broiler chickens, with subcutaneous or intravenous probe placements. The device can be produced as a disposable, and it may become applied for ex vivo and in vitro monitoring.