Humane slaughter of poultry: Review

Abstract

Increasingly, consumers have demonstrated interest in investing in products that ensure the welfare of animals. Brazil stands out in the poultry production, however the industry of broilers experiences daily with losses in the quality of the final product due to the stress of pre-slaughter management. There is necessity of agribusiness to implement of an appropriate welfare program, that becomes an essential tool to contribute to improvements in the design environment and the slaughter and most importantly, it does not cause unnecessary suffering to animals. Faced with this scenario, is of great relevance the search of practical information with scientific basis, applicable to Brazilian reality, that allow reducing losses in product quality, reducing the occurrence of hematomas, bruises and injuries in the birds and to be concerned about the welfare of animals. This review was made of present the main aspects of the humane slaughter of poultry, addressing the standards of pre-slaughter and slaughter management, emphasizing the production losses incurred in these steps, and to develop a reflection on the ethics and animal welfare.