European farming industry has been concerned by the conditions of transport of the slaughter animals for a long time. Initially, the main objective was to reduce mortality, bruising and occurrences of low quality meat. However, in some European countries, such as Great Britain, the public, was also questioning farm animal welfare during transport. Large campaigns against bad treatments during transport have been launched in the media by the animal protection societies. Public concern about animal welfare is now generalized in Europe and one consequence has been the adoption of several regulations by the European commission (in the years 77, 90, 95, 97 and 98).
The initial objective of scientific input was to help industry to avoid the detrimental effect of transport. It dealt mostly with the physical conditions during (duration, temperature, space allowance, stability) as well as before and after transport. The effects of these conditions on the neuroendocrine system and more especially on so-called stress hormones, having a direct impact on the muscle and on the meat quality, have been specifically studied.
Nowadays animal welfare is a major concern of the scientific work. Animals are considered as sentient creatures; they should be protected against bad treatments and have the best possible welfare. The welfare status of an animal is a subjective notion as it depends on the animal's emotional status. This emotional status depends on the way the animal evaluates the situation it is in. This evaluation is influenced by previous experience and by the genetic background of the animals.
The presentation will report scientific work on the effects of the latter two factors on the animals' reactivity to transport and to other forms of stress. It will also discuss the relationship between animal welfare during transport and the quality of the meat products. It will be concluded that in future, new ways to investigate animal welfare are likely to develop. In particular, the interest to use the appraisal theory but also possible use of methods allowing the analysis of brain activity, will be presented.