18
Mar
Castrated Pigs in the Netherlands
- posted at 9:55 AM
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I’ve just heard from our friends over in the Netherlands, who said that as of 2009 all Dutch export pig meat should come from pigs being castrated with anesthetics (as opposed to without, which has gotta hurt). Here’s the score from Judith in the Netherlands:
“Pig farmers and slaughter houses are currently working on the arrangement. The background is this - After pressure from Dutch animal welfare organization ‘Wakker Dier’, in June 2007 all Dutch supermarkets, one of NL’s biggest sausage manufacturers and a popular shopping mall chain stated that from 2009 they would stop selling meat from pigs castrated without anesthetics. Soon after that, many Dutch meat sellers and companies in the snack and meat products-industry followed their example.
“Pig farmers, slaughterhouses and supermarkets responded well and signed the ‘Declaration of Noordwijk’, which states that per 2009 ALL pig meat meant for the Dutch market would come from pigs castrated with anesthetics. But no concrete agreements were made regarding pig meat meant for export. As most pig meat from NL is for export purposes, the slaughterhouses and the farming industry have now reassured that all pigs in NL will be castrated with anesthetics, so also for export. Sadly, the 8.5 million piglets that are being exported ALIVE will still be castrated without anesthetics.”
If that went over your head, here’s the condensed version:
Good – not all pigs will be painfully castrated without anesthetics before being slaughtered for human consumption
Bad – pigs are eaten for food. Whether they’re castrated, not castrated or whatever, it’s still terrible that this happens. Give up the flesh and go veg.
When a was a vet student I had to go through pig farm ‘working experience’. It was a traumatic experience and included castrating little pigs with no anaesthetics. Anyone vet student who refused to do so faced failing to pass the subject. I am so glad the problem has come to light. Any vet who would castrate a dog or a cat this way would be accused of cruelty why is it different with a pig?