TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — To mark World Animal Day on Friday (Oct, 4), the Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST) called for a beef grading system and stricter enforcement of the domestic beef traceability system to address the illegal watering of cattle before slaughter.
Yahsen Frozen Foods' northern joint electric slaughterhouse was fined NT$30,000 (US$929) by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA) on Friday for breaking slaughterhouse operating regulations, per CNA.
Cattle were restrained with short ropes, leaving them no room to escape, EAST said. High-pressure water is pumped into their stomachs through a long, rigid plastic tube forced down the cattle's throat.
Cattle are force-fed water three to four times a day for about two minutes each session, according to EAST. Many suffer from vomiting and excessive watering, with some losing their lives.
The high price of domestic beef in Taiwan has created a lucrative market for unethical merchants. These merchants force-feed cattle water to increase their weight before slaughter.
The current monitoring systems are insufficient for overseeing the entire production process of domestic beef. These systems also fail to adequately address animal welfare concerns, creating opportunities for the continued mistreatment of cattle, EAST noted.
In 2017, only 19,215 of the 35,121 cattle inspected had traceable electronic labels. This indicates a significant gap in the traceability system.
EAST called for stricter inspections at every point in the beef production process. It also advocated for a new beef grading system that evaluates the water content of each carcass to help eliminate cruel practices.