Meat Institute Animal Handling Guidelines and Audit
Slaughter Plant Guidelines and Audits
Since 1991, the Meat Institute has encouraged its members to subscribe to voluntary animal welfare guidelines and embrace auditing programs and they have done so. The meat industry was the first sector in animal agriculture to develop such guidelines and begin self-audit program.
To help promote good animal welfare practices, the Meat Institute houses the widely-utilized Meat Industry Animal Welfare Guidelines and Audit. The Meat Institute released its updated Meat Industry Animal Welfare Guidelines and Audit in May 2024. This replaces the 2021 edition.
Meat Institute Animal Handling Guidelines
The guidelines provide industry stakeholders with best practices on transport, handling, and stunning.
Meat Institute Animal Handling Audit Guide
The audit provides a tool to objectively assess animal welfare through transport, holding, and slaughter.
Download Audit Forms:
The Excel version of the forms will automatically calculate the audit score and result. The forms are on different sheets within the same file.
Download Excel Version of the Audit Forms
Note: The link above is designed to download a file and will not direct you to another webpage. If your computer does not prompt you to open the newly downloaded file, check your “Downloads” folder.
Data collected by Colorado State University's Dr. Temple Grandin for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and major restaurant chains show that animal handling in the meat industry has improved dramatically during the last two decades.
Supplemental Guidance:
Regulations
Federal Oversight
Meat plants that handle and slaughter live animals are the most regulated and inspected industry in America. Federal Humane Slaughter Act regulations are enforced by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and specify the proper treatment and humane handling of livestock slaughtered in USDA-inspected slaughter plants. The law’s provisions are numerous and include requirements that livestock be handled calmly with minimal excitement, that they never be dragged, that objects that cause unnecessary pain not be used to drive livestock, that water be provided in holding pens at all times, that feed be provided if an animal is at a plant more than 24 hours, and that livestock be rendered completely unconscious prior to slaughter. Federal inspectors are present at all times in plants that handle live animals and are empowered to take actions for compliance failures, including stopping production and even withdrawing inspection in extreme cases. FSIS releases notices, directives and other guidance (linked below) to the field as part of its oversight efforts.
