Multi-Stakeholder Focus Groups on Potential for Meat Inspection Data to Inform Management of Pig Health and Welfare on Farm

Bernadette Doyle,Alison Hanlon,Nienke Van Staaveren,Laura Boyle

doi:10.3390/agriculture9020040

Abstract

Meat inspection (MI) findings can act as a valuable source of information on pig health and welfare. The PIG WELFare INDicators (PIGWELFIND) project (Research Stimulus Fund 11/S/107) was developed to progress the development of ante and post mortem MI as a pig health and welfare diagnostic tool in Ireland. Three multi-stakeholder focus groups were organized to explore areas of conflict and agreement between stakeholders’ vision for including pig health and welfare indicators in MI and on how to achieve this vision. Each focus group consisted of eight stakeholders: pig producers, Teagasc pig advisors, pig processors, veterinarians involved in MI, private veterinary practitioners, and personnel with backgrounds in general animal health and welfare and food safety policy. In general, stakeholders expressed positive attitudes towards the use of MI data to inform pig health and welfare when standardization of recording and feedback is improved, and the MI system provides real-time benchmarking possibilities. Most emphasis was placed on health indicators as a first priority, while it was felt that welfare-related indicators could be included after practical barriers had been addressed (i.e., line speed/feasibility, standardization and training of meat inspectors, data ownership). Recommendations are made to further progress the development of MI as a pig health and welfare diagnostic tool and address some of these barriers.

Highlights

In recent years, interest in the potential of existing data sources to inform animal health and welfare is increasing [1,2]
Three concurrent focus groups (FG1-3) were established consisting of pig producers (PP), Teagasc pig advisors (TPA), pig processors (PROC), veterinarians involved in meat inspection (VMI), private veterinary practitioners (PVP), and personnel with backgrounds in general animal health and welfare and food safety policy (GEN)
The following key issues were identified during the workshop: technical and training requirements for an Meat inspection (MI) recording system, the inclusion of pig health and welfare in an MI recording system, and the use of MI data to inform management of pig health and welfare on farm

Summary

Introduction

Interest in the potential of existing data sources to inform animal health and welfare is increasing [1,2]. Suggested that MI could be efficient at identifying producers with animal health and/or welfare issues, shown by van Staaveren et al [7], and recommended that this information should be shared with veterinarians and producers. Several pig health schemes such as the Wholesome. Information Scheme in Northern Ireland (PiGIS) [6], already provide producers and veterinarians with reports on pathological lesions recorded at MI and/or reasons for condemnations and which allow benchmarking to various degrees (e.g., against previous batches, against average figures, against bottom/top producers). In the Republic of Ireland no such system is in place and the PIG

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion