Seriously ill animals exported to foreign slaughterhouses
Documents released today by the investigation group Ongehoord show that the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is still not following regulations about animal exports. Sick and injured animals should not be transported. However, in the past year and a half, cows have arrived at Flemish slaughterhouses with swollen udders and leg issues. Nearly one hundred pigs had tumors, abscesses, infections, and other serious health problems. This raises doubts about Minister Schouten's recent promises for better oversight.
Measures do not work
On September 3, outgoing Minister Carola Schouten announced enhanced oversight of livestock transports: NVWA veterinarians are now required to adhere to European guidelines during export inspections. These guidelines provide detailed descriptions and images of health issues in cattle and pigs, aimed at accurately evaluating the transportability of animals. [1] [2] According to Schouten, the new oversight rules have been in effect for cattle inspections since April 2021. However, documents from the Flemish inspection indicate that sick cows were still being transported to Belgium in May and June. In 2019, RTL News also uncovered issues with the export of sick animals. At the end of 2019, Minister Schouten implemented stricter inspections at the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) and introduced the "four-eyes principle." This means that inspections are conducted by two inspectors instead of one. [3] These measures also seem to have had no impact.
NVWA blind to serious welfare problems
The photos and reports published by Ongehoord today reveal serious issues. Flemish veterinarians found visible leg problems in the cattle. Some animals could no longer walk without pain or stand upright (photo 1). One cow had its hind legs tied together with a rope to prevent slipping. According to animal welfare regulations, animals that cannot walk independently and without pain should not be transported.
Dairy cows also showed painfully swollen udders, with milk dripping due to the high production standards in the dairy industry (photo 2). One cow had a large abscess on its head, with part of the skin dead and its eye affected (photo 3). Another cow was too weak to survive transport; the veterinarian found it dead in the truck. A heavily pregnant cow endured a three-hour transport and gave birth in the slaughterhouse's waiting area. The calf was euthanized, and the mother was slaughtered for meat production.
Several pigs arrived with leg problems that caused lameness. Cited causes included hip fractures, arthritis, inflammation, and abscesses (photo 4). Some pigs had extremely large umbilical hernias, where the intestines protruded. This condition can cause the skin to drag on the ground, leading to wounds and necrotic skin (photo 5). Many animals had moderate to severe wounds from tail and ear biting (photo 6). One sow, whose uterus protruded through the vagina, endured a five-hour transport time (photo 7).
Not suitable for transport, but suitable for human consumption
Animal welfare legislation mandates that farmers euthanize animals with serious health issues on the farm and then send them to a rendering plant. Euthanasia and rendering come with costs that livestock farmers prefer to avoid. Instead, farmers can transport unsuitable animals to a slaughterhouse, allowing them to earn money. After slaughter, defective parts like umbilical hernias and abscesses are removed, while the rest of the carcass is used for human consumption. Only carcasses from animals with conditions that threaten public health are entirely condemned and destroyed.
Shameful display
In 2020, Ongehoord released images showing NVWA veterinarians mistreating pigs in a slaughterhouse. [4] A supervisor at a chicken slaughterhouse in Friesland personally assisted with the work of the slaughterer. [5] The research group Ongehoord describes the NVWA 's oversight of farm animals as a disgraceful display. Documents from the Flemish inspection service clearly reveal that industry interests take precedence over animal welfare. Johan Boonstra, spokesperson for Ongehoord, stated: "If you look at the photos, it is evident that NVWA veterinarians intentionally approve sick animals. Pigs with football-sized umbilical hernias and abscesses, or a cow with a bloody eye wound—these are issues that cannot be ignored."