Humane Slaughter Award 2013 Winners
30 August 2013
The Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) has announced the winner of its 2013 award for significant advances in humane slaughter. The award, which recognises individuals or organisations that have made significant scientific, technical or other advances that have led to improvements in the humane slaughter of livestock, was won by the IRTA/UAB Animal Welfare Research Group, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA) / Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).
The members of this group are:
Antonio Velarde Calvo - Researcher (IRTA);
Xavier Manteca Vilanova - Professor (UAB);
Antoni Dalmau Bueno - Researcher (IRTA);
Emma Fàbrega Romans - Researcher (IRTA);
Pedro Rodríguez Rodríguez - Support of Research (IRTA);
Pol Llonch Obiols - Researcher (IRTA / UAB);
Cecilia Pedernera Romano - Researcher (IRTA);
Isabel Blanco Penedo - Researcher (IRTA);
Eva Mainau - Researcher (UAB/IRTA);
Déborah Temple - Researcher (UAB);
Ricard Carreras Ubach - PhD student (IRTA/UAB);
Nicolau Casal Plana - PhD student (IRTA/UAB);
and Joaquim Pallisera Lloveras - Support of Research (IRTA).
The award was presented to the Group at the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) Symposium on International developments in animal welfare science, Barcelona on Friday 5th July 2013.
Since it was founded in 1996, the IRTA/UAB Animal Welfare Research Group has made many contributions to improve welfare of livestock at slaughter. Its work has included research aiming to optimise gas stunning at slaughter in pigs, sheep, poultry and rabbits and investigations into the use of alternative gas mixtures that may be less aversive than carbon dioxide.
The group has published numerous scientific papers in the field but has worked also to promote the uptake of scientific findings in development of policy and in practice. Members of the Group have contributed to important international expert consortiums including working groups of the European Food Safety Authority's Panel on Animal Health and Animal Welfare addressing welfare aspects of animal stunning and killing methods and welfare of animals during transport, and the EU funded DIALREL Project (improving knowledge and expertise through dialogue and debate on issues of welfare, legislation and socio-economic aspects). The Group has also contributed to post-graduate courses and training activities at national and international levels.