lucky little porky pigs, page-14

SP, as a meat producer I visit abbatoirs on a regular basis and can assure you that, if livestock are overstressed pre-slaughter, rising hormone levels shorten and discolour the carcass, rendering the meat tough.

This is then rejected at the retail level which, in turn, impinges on the abbatoirs profitability. hence, modern abbatoirs go to great lengths (and expense) to keep animals calm and content before slaughter, in sofar as it is possible to do so in an industrial situation.

Animals are also inspected on a regular/random basis by both industry and government health and veterinary inspectors with the authority to shut down the entire process immediately in the event of abuse and neglect occurring.

If you heard "howling", are you sure you were at an abbatoir and not a kennel?

R/B