The North: The ins and outs of a slaughter slab

June 19

6:30 am was a little too early to “stomach” this visitation on an empty stomach…but I mentally prepared myself for what I was about to see.

The smell of the slaughter slab early that morning found me before I found it—a familiar odor that comes with butchering livestock. Upon walking into the small concrete building that sits next to an open market, I was a little shocked to see two beef animals lying on the ground in a puddle of blood having their hides removed. Now, I’ve witnessed livestock processing before, and even help work up deer killed each fall during hunting season…so the shock doesn’t come with the meat and blood…it comes with the method observed.

In the United States, and many other developed and developing countries, humane slaughter is enforced. According to the Guidelines for Humane Handling, Transport and Slaughter of Livestock, a publication of the Food and Agriculture Organization and Humane Society International, “It is desirable to render an animal unconscious before it is slaughtered in order to eliminate pain, discomfort and stress from the procedure... Whatever the stunning method, the animal should be rendered unconscious for long enough so that bleeding results in enough loss of blood to cause death from lack of oxygen to the brain (cerebral anoxia). In other words, death should occur before the animal would have regained consciousness after stunning, had bleeding not taken place.”

So, the animal should be rendered unconscious, hoisted, and the main blood vessels of the neck severed in order to allow blood to drain from the carcass. Humane slaughter and proper antemortem handling/management is important for both the animal and carcass quality.

This prior knowledge led me to question the sanitation of that concrete floor and the quality of meat cut away from the carcasses—but I consistently reminded myself that this is a country working with what they have during a time of reconstruction…and giving the small slaughter slab the benefit of the doubt, this may be the best they can do at this particular time to provide the much needed animal protein to Sierra Leoneans. Therefore, I asked many questions and this is what I learned:

There are a few facilities near Freetown, termed “abattoir” (slaughter house), that slaughter 100+ animals per day and have the facilities for stunning and proper exsanguination (bleeding). Less populated areas can support a smaller “slaughter slab.” At the particular one I visited procedures include: tie the animal’s four limbs; throw the animal down; sever the jugular; remove the hide; eviscerate (removal of internal organs); and split carcass into four wholesale cuts.

Postmortem inspection is conducted by a Ministry of Agriculture employee. Viscera are laid on a table for inspection of the spleen, lungs and heart, and to check for liver fluke and hard spots. If any abnormalities are found, the carcass is disposed of via burial.

The four wholesale cuts are sold to a butcher who then sells the retail cuts in the market…hopefully within three to four hours to decrease quality and safety problems. The retail cuts include meat with bone (sells for $1.50/lb) and “steak” which is any cut without bone that sells for $2/lb. Four feet can sometimes sell for Le35,000 ($8). Keeping in mind that the majority have no access to consistent refrigeration, meat is consumed the day of slaughter.

In extension style, Jesse suggested some changes to the methods used…and hopefully they will be able to implement those changes in the near future. David hopes to build a bigger facility away from the market to support the 13,000-15,000 Kabala population. He requested the $40,000 it would take to do so from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Lunch that day was beef from one of the animals I witnessed being slaughtered. The meat was tough yet delicious. I savored the dish, knowing it was a luxury not found at Njala.

While the U.S. meat packing industry may have its flaws, we are blessed to live in a country that has the governments support in ensuring humane slaughter, and carcass and facility inspection…providing the US and its export markets with quality, safe animal protein.

Joyful Journeys,

Julie

One of the three being slaughtered.

Antemortem inspection is performed on site.

A lady came to take the head and a few other parts.

Jesse and David explained the ins and outs.

One of the 4 retail cuts in transport to the butcher.

Beef soup from of of the slaughtered animals was lunch.