ABSTRACT
The slaughter process begins when the animals are unloaded from the trucks which bring them to the slaughter establishment. The animals are typically held in holding pens (lairage) for several hours to reduce transportation stress. Although the lairage pens are livestock pens and not sanitary food production areas, they still require routine removal of faecal material and uneaten food to prevent excessive contamination of the animals prior to the actual slaughter process. If the lairage pens are uncovered, they should be located in such a place that they drain well during rainy seasons. Although these steps are important in regard to animal welfare, they also have an impact on the safety and quality of the meat, in that they minimize additional contamination of the hide prior to slaughter. Since the hide is a significant source of carcass contamination, minimizing contamination of the hide can help minimize subsequent contamination of the carcass.
