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Why are animals held off feed before slaughter?
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meat processing
A butcher cutting beef.
In the context of meat processing, animals are held off feed for 12 to 24 hours prior to slaughter for two primary reasons: to ensure complete bleeding and to facilitate the ease of evisceration, which is the removal of the internal organs.1
While animals are fasted, they should still be provided with access to water. This practice is part of broader preslaughter handling efforts designed to minimize animal stress. Reducing stress is essential because it helps prevent negative impacts on meat quality, such as the development of dark, firm, and dry (DFD) meat or pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat.12