Full Title Name:  Resolution 002341 de 2007

This resolution regulates the health and safety conditions of cattle and buffalo for slaughter and subsequent human consumption.

Resolution 002341 de 2007 sets parameters and requirements with the goal of guaranteeing the efficiency of the different processes that are part of the system of production of cattle for slaughter, while taking into account the livestock’s health and safety. Some of the topics that this resolution regulates include registration of production farms, requirements of the farming facilities, animal health and biosafety, veterinary medicines good practices, animal feeding good practices, farm and livestock transportation personnel, animal welfare and animal transportation.

The following, are some of the most relevant Articles (sections) in terms of animal welfare.

• Article 8 refers to the sanitary requirements for facilities and designated farming/processing areas.
• Literal D) of this article requires that corrals and confinement buildings have adequate space depending on the species to guarantee the animals welfare. The floors of such facilities and designated areas must be made of a material that prevent falls and foot complications and facilitate cleanliness and the drainage of organic waste.
• Article 15 directly addresses animal welfare. Farms dedicated to the production of bovine cattle and buffalo have certain responsibilities to guarantee the welfare of animals. Some of these requirements include: that animals have continuous access to clean water and that facility personnel provide adequate handling of the animals, avoiding animal suffering, abuse, pain, stress, and fear. This includes not using blunt, sharp, electric or electronic instruments that can cause injury and suffering to animals. Article 15 also requires the use of appropriate practices, and that such practices are carried out by trained personnel when performing procedures that can cause pain to the animals, such as dehorning, castration, marking, etc.
• Article 18 sets specifications of vehicles for transportation of livestock. This article aims to establish requirements to avoid the injury or suffering of livestock. This includes assuring that the cargo area does not have sharp or pointed edges that could potentially harm the animals. There are further specifications mandated regarding vehicles. Stake trucks, for example, should have adequate cover to protects animals from inclement weather and ensure adequate ventilation. These vehicles should be properly designed so that animals cannot slide their extremities through the spaces between the bars. The floors of the vehicles must have non-slip characteristics and preferably they must have strips of wood or metal forming 25 cm squared. Other requirements in Article 18 include that the dimensions of the doors must ensure the passage of livestock safely and without causing injuries, and that vehicles have physical separation mechanisms that prevent overcrowding, stacking, and aggression between animals during transport.
• Article 19 lays the requirements for the personnel transporting livestock. Some of the most important requirements set out in this article include that the personnel transporting and handling the livestock use non-traumatic persuasion aids in loading and unloading the animals. They must not move the vehicle when there are animals that have fallen, are in a position of no rest, or when the animals are bearing the weight of another animal.
• Paragraph 2 of this article regulates the time allowed for the transportation of livestock. Adult cattle should not be transported for more than 10 continuous hours, whereas calves, are only allowed to be transported for up to 6 continuous hours. In case the cattle must be transported for a longer period of time than specified above, cattle must be provided rest, food, and water prior resuming the journey.