Parma, 28 January 2025
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has just published two scientific opinions reviewing the welfare of horses during on-farm killing and slaughtering for human consumption. Reflecting the latest scientific research, EFSA’s experts also provide recommendations to improve horse welfare during such processes.
The European Commission asked EFSA to provide an independent review of horse slaughter processes and their welfare impact. Additionally, EFSA’s experts also reviewed the process of on-farm killing of horses for purposes other than slaughter, for instance on situations such as large-scale culling for disease control.
EFSA’s experts also provided specific recommendations to enhance horse welfare, directed at policymakers, farmers, and food businesses such as slaughterhouses. This scientific work will inform the European Commission on future negotiations of chapters of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code developed by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).
More details available in our Plain Language Summaries.
Links to science
Source – EFSA