Dutch slaughterhouses still boiling pigs alive

Almost four years after public outrage about pigs being drowned alive in scalding hot water in Dutch slaughterhouses, the practice still regularly occurs, RTL Nieuws reports based on inspector reports from the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). The reports also show that NVWA inspectors often ignore abuses for an extended period, sometimes only write reports after a long time, and that slaughterhouses sometimes ignore NVWA instructions, according to the broadcaster.

The NVWA inspectors drew up 21 reports of slaughterhouses violating welfare rules in the 2019/2020 period. While that does not sound like a lot, the documents make clear that inspectors often waited a long time with many abuses before writing a report.

In five cases, pigs were put into the hot water scalding tank while they were alive. "There, the animal was badly burnt and eventually drowned. This causes unnecessary and avoidable suffering," an inspector wrote in a report. A scalding tank is a large container with water that is 60 degrees Celsius. It helps remove hair easily. Pigs are supposed to be dead before being put into this tank.

In one case, an inspector found that a slaughterhouse did not properly check whether the pigs were killed correctly. The employee in charge of this stood in the wrong place and could "see nothing," the report stated. The inspector noted that they discussed this with the slaughterhouse "half a year ago," but nothing changed. "I gave it a week. No solution was found this week, which is why I am now writing this report."

Another slaughterhouse stuffed 91 pigs into a pen built for 70. According to the report, the pigs were forced into unnatural positions and could not reach the water to drink. The inspector said they encountered "similar situations as described above" in this slaughterhouse "several times." "I always indicated that this was not allowed. The slaughterhouse still has not taken the necessary measures."

In another case, an NVWA inspector observed that a slaughterhouse employee was not doing his job correctly, leading to "serious avoidable suffering" in the animals. The inspector discovered that the employee did not have the required diplomas for the work and brought it up with the supervisor. The supervisor said he "didn't agree with the regulations," and the man continued doing the work, the inspector noted.

The reports also indicated that several abuses were identified with camera surveillance in slaughterhouses. But animal rights organization Varkens in Nood believes that this does not go far enough. The surveillance camera footage remains in the slaughterhouses' possession, and NVWA inspectors have to go on-site to view them. Varkens in Nood wants mandatory and independent supervision with the NVWA watching surveillance footage live from an external location.