Animal rights group says harvesting foetal serum "cruelty"
Animal activists are calling on New Zealanders to sign an open letter to the government calling for a ban on the killing of pregnant cows.
In a practice used to produce foetal bovine serum, SAFE (Save Animals from Exploitation) says after a pregnant cow is killed, her unborn calf is removed, a needle is inserted into their heart without pain relief, and their blood is drained.
SAFE Campaigns Officer, Emma Brodie, says she is deeply concerned for the welfare of pregnant cows killed for foetal bovine serum production – and estimates that at least 100,000 cows were killed last year to produce the serum, exported round the world.
Foetal bovine serum (FBS) is used as a growth supplement in cell culture, including in some vaccines, lab-grown meats, and other biotechnology. Serum is also made from newborn calves, bobby calves and adult cows - though foetal serum contains higher levels of growth-promoting factors and is more profitable for the industry.
Brodie says there are already ethical, animal-free alternatives available on the market, with some alternatives shown to be even more effective for growing cells – while the killing of pregnant cows signifies a new low for the industry: "Kiwis have high expectations for the care and treatment of animals. Instead of growing the market for foetal calf blood, New Zealand should be taking a leading role in pursuing scientific advancements that reduce animal suffering."
"Cows are gentle, affectionate, and social animals who are legally recognised as sentient under the Animal Welfare Act. They are capable of experiencing joy and excitement, as well as fear and suffering. Regardless of their age or stage in life, cows deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion".
Brodie says the estimate of 100,000 cows being killed while pregnant comes from data showing that New Zealand exported more than 33,000kg and almost 35,000 litres of FBS last year. Brodie says each calf yields about half a litre of FBS "and that's how we estimate at least 100,000. However, as some calves may be killed earlier in gestation, they may yield less than 500mls of serum each – so the number killed could be many more than 100,000, and the true scale of suffering remains unknown".
For cows in the dairy industry to produce milk, they must give birth to a calf. Brodie says these cows are condemned to a cycle of artificial impregnation, traumatic separation from newborn calves and intensive milking, until they are considered 'spent' at six to seven years of age.
"Transporting and killing mother cows while they are still pregnant is a callous and unnecessary final act of cruelty," she says. "Transport during pregnancy increases a cow's risk of suffering from heat stress, dehydration, and early delivery. Some cows are arriving to slaughter heavily pregnant, where they can be confined and made to stand for extended periods of time".
SAFE's open letter is calling on Associate Agriculture Minister Meka Whaitiri and the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) to ban the killing of pregnant cows in New Zealand. This would simply require farms to conduct more thorough pre-transport welfare checks and would prevent farms from artificially inseminating 'cull' cows.
"SAFE is looking to NAWAC to ensure that the Codes of Welfare are amended to reflect and respect the sentience of cows", Brodie says.
"Last year, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) recorded 72 cows giving birth at slaughter facilities – a breach of animal welfare regulations."
In a 2018 New Zealand Herald story, then Federated Farmers national president Katie Milne said culling pregnant cows was a normal part of the farming cycle, but most would go to the meat works before the second trimester, not when they were heavily pregnant. She didn't know of any farmers deliberately impregnating cows to get extra money at slaughter, and she would disagree with that.
Brodie says killing cows during pregnancy should not be dismissed as standard practice.
Current regulations for the collection of foetal calf blood state that calves must be dead before their blood is drawn, she says. "This practice is therefore excluded from the Animal Welfare Act 1999, and it is not subject to ethical approval."
After a pregnant cow is slaughtered, calves must be left for five minutes before they are removed and taken to a separate room. However, Brodie says, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) states that calves should be left for 30 minutes to ensure they have died. After five minutes, calf foetuses may still be alive and vulnerable to unknown amounts of pain.
"NAWAC is currently amending the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare and is scheduled to review the Commercial Slaughter Code of Welfare this year. For New Zealand to be a country that claims to have high animal welfare standards, we must go further to safeguard the welfare of cows and calves."