A slaughterhouse of calves in Dordogne denounced in a video by the association for the defense of animals L214, has had its approval withdrawn and has been suspended, announced Friday the Minister of Agriculture Didier Guillaume on RTL. " This morning, I decided to suspend the approval of this slaughterhouse, " said the minister at the Agricultural Show. " I am announcing not its closure but the suspension of this slaughterhouse. As soon as corrective measures are proposed by its managers, this slaughterhouse can resume its operation. "
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The association for the defense of animals L214 had asked on February 20 for the closure of the site, after the dissemination of a new video showing, according to it, " multiple " offenses. The Dordogne prefecture then assured that viewing the images did not establish " non-compliance with regulations ". " The national veterinary brigade went on site because the qualification of non-compliance is not done on videos but on concrete, " added the minister who had meanwhile requested an on-site investigation. " In the light of the first elements which came to my attention last night, the two national experts of the ministry highlight problems of training for the employees of the slaughterhouse ".
Lack of control over slaughter conditions
" It would seem that this could have played a role in this situation, " continued the minister who recognizes " dysfunctions " but does not give more details. The findings of the two experts " highlight a lack of control of the conditions of slaughter of animals by the employees of the slaughterhouse with in particular lack of training and awareness, " said the ministry in a statement. This video was filmed in November-December at the Sobeval de Boulazac slaughterhouse, of the Dutch group VanDrie, a slaughterhouse approved for standard types of slaughter, which represents 70% of its activity, as well as kosher and halal (30%). . With 3,400 calves slaughtered per week, or 24,000 tonnes of meat, the slaughterhouse is the largest in Dordogne, but of average size nationwide.
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L214 denounced " dizziness carried out in violation of the regulations ", with the head of the calves not completely immobilized at the time of the stunning, therefore " ill-adjusted shots ", injured but conscious animals, and " controls of the unconsciousness and insensitivity of almost nonexistent calves ”. The ministry also opened an internal investigation to understand how exchanges of emails between senior officials on the subject could end up in the hands of the L214 association, but Didier Guillaume did not comment on these investigations currently underway. “ The administrative investigation carried out in the departments continues, to understand the information and decision process that followed the broadcast of the video. The elements will be available within 10 days, "said the ministry in its press release.
