March 16, 2009
Swiss groups opposes retailers' castrated piglet stance
Producers, animal welfare, veterinarians and consumer groups in Switzerland are opposing the retailers' decision to accept only castrated piglets.
Castration with isoflurane narcosis and vaccination are alternative solutions against boar taint, with vaccination the favoured method of the groups.
Migros, Micana and Bell, the largest Swiss retailer and two important processors have decided to accept only meat from castrated piglets, completing closing the channels for meat from the widely-accepted vaccination method, forcing producers to perform castration surgically.
As a result, Swiss producers have to invest EUR39 million into isoflurane narcosis machines which small producers would not be able to afford. In addition, up to 10 percent of the piglets will continue being castrated in pain as the gas narcosis is not fully efficient.
To protest the decision, the groups have founded an interest group against compulsory castration with several goals, including:
- Protest against the decision of retailers and processors in media and politics together with animal welfare and consumer groups.
Switzerland will ban castration of male piglets without anaesthesia by 2010.
