A first of its kind program, the Humane Handling Institute, will provide comprehensive hands-on training for current meat industry workers in humane pre-slaughter handling, transport, stunning, and equipment maintenance.
DATCP and UW-River Falls say HHI is expected to help improve the long-term viability of Wisconsin’s $34 billion livestock and meat industries.
The project is funded by the Meat Talent Development Program, a $5 million program created to strengthen the state’s meat processing supply chain and workforce.
“The HHI will provide one-of-a-kind training to the industry and lead the way for humane handling education across the state and nation,” says DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. “This partnership will support workforce training, create product marketing opportunities, and provide education on regulatory issues for meat processing establishments.”
UW-River Falls Chancellor Maria Gallo thanked Gov. Tony Evers for establishing this program to aid the meat industry.
“The involvement of our quality faculty in developing the content for this effort will ensure it contains the latest best practices and will be delivered effectively,” she says.
The objective of the HHI is to develop humane handlers, stunner operators, and maintenance personnel that have a deeper understanding of the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of humane handling, stunning, and slaughter, according to UW-River Falls Prof. and HHI Director Kurt Vogel.
“Since 2014, the UW-River Falls Animal Welfare Lab has tracked humane handling enforcement actions by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and consistently identified pre-slaughter stunning as a critical area of need for additional training and development,” he explains. “Effective stunning is important for animal and worker welfare and there are additional downstream benefits to efficiency of production and meat product quality that add support to a well-justified cause.”
The program consists of a series of 2.5-day-long workshops. Interested participants can select the workshops that meet their needs or complete the entire series of workshops and an additional project for comprehensive certification. Trainees that complete the series and project will receive a certificate in humane handling and stunning and the limited rights to utilize the program logo in marketing and promotional materials.
Tuition reimbursement will be offered to 120 trainees from small slaughter establishments across the state for the two workshops that address critical regulatory challenges for these plants, but any current or aspiring staff may enroll in any of the five workshops.
Steve Van Lannen, incoming chair of the North American Meat Institute and COO of American Foods Group, says the program will be invaluable as the company continues to operate in Wisconsin.
“As an industry and through our work with the Protein PACT, we understand that wholesome meat, poultry, and dairy start with providing the most humane care and raising healthy animals,” Van Lannen says. “The Humane Handling Institute will help support us in our initiatives.”
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