Mandatory slaughterhouse cameras turn animal welfare into an evidence-based process

On 5 November, the German Bundestag adopted an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act that introduces mandatory video recording of animal-welfare-sensitive procedures at larger slaughterhouses. Coverage begins with unloading and extends through stunning, bleeding and—depending on the process—scalding or shackling. The decision turns video documentation into an intended instrument of official oversight rather than a voluntary quality-assurance measure.