In Romania, living lamb markets have opened in many communities and sheep producers have strict rules to follow.
Local authorities advise purchase only from authorized sellers who offer a health guarantee of a veterinarian.
“They run the risk that meat will not be lamb, could be a different type of animal or the risk that the induced meat of pathological conditions among those who buy it,” explains Florin Capățână, director general of the national health and veterinary authority for food security.
Romania has a secular rural tradition of slaughter of pigs and lambs during the main Christian festivals without dizziness.
Last week, a slaughterhouse for lambs and goats opened its doors on a public market in the Romanian city in the southwest of Craiova. Farmers come with living animals and buyers can choose the one they want.
“We got lamb yesterday, and today we come for Kid (goat meat). We prefer it here because it is … we see it. It is natural,” said a buyer.
For other buyers, this is more price. “I am sure of what I receive. I had a room with so much fat on the central market,” said a buyer. While another explained that many prefer to buy sheep chops at such a market, especially since the price is cheaper.
“One kilogram costs between 20 and 23 lei, around 4 to 4.60 €, while in stores, the price is double,” he said.
Although in recent years, the number of slaughterhouses has decreased, dozens still operate through Romania.
Adrian Dinu, a representative of the Craiova public market, said that they had approved butchers who slaughtered.
“We have a captive upheaval, and we have a sterilization station with a knife. The lamb is bought; it is chosen by the buyer, then it is taken from the slaughter point, where the authorized butchers take it, and after slaughter, it is seen by a veterinarian who applies the stamp of health,” he explained.
EU regulation on animal slaughter
Romania has come for fierce criticism for the slaughter of animals when it joined the European Union in 2007. Since it joined the EU, the country has been subject to strict rules which it must follow.
“The European Union has very clear legislation with regard to the massacre of animals and it describes in detail what is authorized and what is not authorized for each species,” explains Gabriel Păun, president of the International Animal NGO.
“Whether it is a lamb or another kind of farm animals, no one is allowed to kill the animal without surprising.”
One of the EU rules also requires a veterinarian to be present at the farm before slaughter.
ADVERTISEMENTMeanwhile, these Easter regulators in Romania have repeated their warning against the purchase of lambs directly in sheep's farms without health certification.
Meat can cause parasitic diseases, they say.
Last year, the Eastern European Nation recorded 67 epidemics of sheep and goats in summer, with 280,000 animals that die accordingly.
