Dr. Ingrid Schütt-Abraham, 15.10.2001 (last update 11.05.2003)
For slaughter of cattle, i.e. their killing for the purpose of harvesting meat, the use of the pithing rod has been prohibited in all member states of the EU since the 01/01/2001 and since the 01/04/2001 also for meat imported from third countries (Decision 2000/418/EC, transposed for national slaughter in annex 2 chapter III no. 2.1a of the Fleischhygiene-Verordnung (Meat Hygiene Regulation), for imports from third countries in annex 3 no. 5 FlHV). This ban was repeated in Regulation(EC) 999/2001 and its subsequent changes, Regulation (EC) 1248/2001, Regulation (EC) 1326/2001, and Regulation (EC) 270/2002 which replaced Decision 2000/418/EC. The ban is based on the detection of the spread of central nervous tissue fragments via the blood circulation into the body, especially the lung, induced by the use of the pithing rod.
In all countries which are not BSE free BSE infected cattle may go to slaughter undetected. The BSE tests which are mandatory in Germany for all over 24-month-old bovines are a good means to detect animals which are in the late stage of the incubation period and the brains of which might therefore be already highly infectious. However, due to their low sensitivity the tests cannot guarantee absence of an BSE-infection even if their result is negative. Accordingly for prophylactic reasons the risk of spreading potentially present BSE-agents in edible tissue cannot be accepted. This is especially valid as the reflexlessness of captive bolt stunned cattle as required for reasons of workers' protection can be ensured by other means like electroimmobilisation. Provided stunning and bleeding are carried out correctly within 60 seconds from the shot severing both carotid arteries recurrence of consciousness need not be expected even without the use of the pithing rod. (That one has principally to take into account a spread of CNS-material with all methods which destroy the brain and spinal cord, i.e. even with conventional captive bolt stunning alone has already been discussed elsewhere and shall here not be presented in detail).
For this reason the Federal Institute for Consumer Health Protection and Veterinary Medicine (BgVV) in its opinion of 15 January 2001 on the killing methods with regard to the Federal Catalogue of Measures to be taken based on the Animal Disease Legislation clearly preferred the use of disposable pithing rods in cattle which have to be killed on transport because of an emergency.
As an example for disposable pithing rods the patented pithing rod offered by Operating Platforms Ltd, Bristol, UK, (Havard House, 149 Claverham Road, Claverham, Bristol, BS 49 4 LH, UK) is described. The rod has a total length of 78 cm and consists of flexible blue plastic material. Its shaft presents itself on cross-section as an X with a diameter of 0,6 cm. While its front end which is threaded into the spinal canal ends in a massive button-shaped head, the rear ends in a disc of 4,7 cm in diameter. Ca. 2 cm from this disc the shaft broadens to a diameter of 2 cm by 5 hooks arranged in pairs. Between these hooks and the disc covering the shot wound a broad plastic foam ring like those used to stop coffee pots from dripping is attached for sealing purposes.
Due to this construction the pithing rod contributes to the sealing of the hole made by the captive bolt shot. The hooks prevent the shaft from slipping out, and the plastic foam ring even absorbes a limited amount of fluid. No investigations, however, are so far known demonstrating the effectiveness of this seal under practical conditions. Nevertheless the risk of CNS and cerebrospinal fluid sipping out during handling of the carcase and its transport to the rendering plant should be notably reduced. although a 100% seal cannot be guaranteed with this method either.
Disposable pithing rods are said to be regularly used in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) for the killing of over 30-month-old cattle on farm. Bovines belonging to this age group are in the UK excluded from the harvesting of meat so that slaughter of these animals and accordingly also their transport to the abattoir will be unnecessary.
The major disruptions of brain and Medulla oblongata, however, which are unavoidable when using a pithing rod would limit the suitable BSE test methods. BSE detection might additionally be hampered as the resulting CNS pulp will prevent recognition of certain brain areas. (In the abattoir a certain brain area called Obex is sampled for BSE testing because this area of the brain is generally considered the first CNS tissue in which the infection will be detectable. As long as in this area the concentration of proteinase resistant prion protein were still low, it might become undetectable due to dilution with not yet infected brain areas). In the United Kingdom this has not played a role inso far as over 30-month-old bovines need not be routinely tested because within the frame of the OTM program they have to be taken off the food chain and destroyed anyway.
Decision 2000/418/EC: Commission decision of 29 June 2000 regulating the use of material presenting risks as regards transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and amending Decision 94/474/EC. Official Journal of the European Communities L 158/76 of 30.06.2000
Regulation (EC) 999/2001: Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for the prevention,control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Offical Journal of the European Communities L 147/1 of 31.5.2001
Regulation (EC) 1248/2001: Commission Regulation (EC) No 1248/2001 of 22 June 2001 amending Annexes III, X and XI to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards epidemio-surveillance and testing of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Official Journal of the European Communities L 173/2 of 27.6.2001
Regulation (EC) 1326/2001: Commission Regulation (EC) No 1326/2001 of 29 June 2001 laying down transitional measures to permit the changeover to the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council (EC) No 999/2001 laying down rules for the prevention,control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, and amending Annexes VII and XI to that Regulation. Official Journal of the European Communities No L 177/60 of 30.6.2001
Regulation (EC) 270/2002: Commission Regulation (EC) No 270/2002 of 14 February 2002 amending Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards specified risk material and epidemio-surveillance for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and amending Regulation (EC)No 1326/2001 as regards animal feeding and the placing on the market of ovine and caprine animals and products thereof. Official Journal of the European Communities No L 45/4 of 15.02.2002
Fleischhygiene-Verordnung (Meat Hygiene Regulation): Verordnung über die hygienischen Anforderungen und amtlichen Untersuchungen beim Verkehr mit Fleisch (Fleischhygiene-Verordnung - FlHV) vom 30. Oktober 1986 (BGBl. I, S. 1678) in der Fassung der Bekanntmachung vom 29. Juni 2001 (BGBl I, S. 1366), zuletzt geändert durch Verordnung vom 13. Dezember 2001 (BGBl. I, S. 3631)
Tierschutz-Schlachtverordnung (Animal Welfare at Slaughter Regulation): Verordnung zum Schutz von Tieren im Zusammenhang mit der Schlachtung oder Tötung (Tierschutz-Schlachtverordnung - TierSchlV) vom 3. März 1997 (BGBl I S. 405), geändert durch Verordnung vom 25. November 1999 (BGBl I S. 2392)
Copyright Dr. Ingrid Schütt-Abraham
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