Meat quality is a question of husbandry
FAMILY FARMS INSTEAD OF FACTORY FARMING
A top priority in Swiss cattle farming. Most Swiss farms are family-run. As such, they usually have several sources of income and rarely focus solely on fattening cattle or calves.
SMALL BUT NICE
In family farms, animal populations are manageable and farmers have daily contact with their animals. In addition, laws regulate the maximum number of animals; this also prevents mass animal farming on an industrial scale .
VOLUNTARY ANIMAL WELFARE PROGRAMS
With programs such as BTS (particularly animal-friendly housing systems) or RAUS (regular access to the outdoors), the state also promotes responsible animal husbandry.
GRASSLAND SWITZERLAND
Grass is the most important raw material for Swiss milk and meat production. Switzerland covers almost 100% of its cattle's roughage needs itself.
Well, cattle need grass above all to live! 87% of a species-appropriate cattle diet consists of grass, hay or silage. Switzerland can therefore cover around 90% of the total feed requirements of its cattle, calves and cows itself. Protein and starch-rich concentrated feed such as wheat or corn is also produced in Switzerland. In addition, by-products from food production are also used as feed. Only around 16% of the total feed required is imported.
CATTLE BREEDS IN SWITZERLAND
BROWN SWISS CATTLE
Brown Swiss cattle are a breed of cattle that originally comes from Switzerland. This breed is known for its uniform brown to grey-brown coloring and its high milk yield. Brown Swiss cattle are robust and adaptable, which makes them particularly suitable for keeping in the Alpine regions.
CROSSING
In Swiss cattle breeding, the mating of meat breeds with dairy cows is of great importance. These so-called commercial crosses make a significant contribution to beef production. The proportion of commercial crosses has been rising steadily for years.
SIMMENTAL
The Simmental breed has its origins in the Simmental valley in the Bernese Oberland. With around fifty million cattle, it is now one of the most widespread cattle breeds in the world.
Exports from Simmental to neighboring countries have been known since the 16th century. The boom for the Swiss dual-purpose cow was not least due to its presence at the 1855 World Exhibition in Paris.
Unlike in the milk and cheese country of Switzerland, the Simmental breed is now valued almost all over the world, especially for its good meat production.
SWISS FLECKVIEH
The Swiss Fleckvieh is an important cattle breed in Switzerland that is used for both milk and meat production. This dual-purpose breed was created by crossing Red Holstein bulls with the Swiss Simmental breed.
The breed is characterized by good meat quality, which also makes it attractive in meat production. Swiss Fleckvieh cows are robust and well adapted to different husbandry conditions
TRANSPARENCY BRINGS SECURITY AND TRUST
An important quality feature of meat from Switzerland is traceability from the shop counter through the slaughterhouse to the farm. Complete labeling and precise accompanying documents make this possible. Thanks to this system, diseases in animals are also quickly identified and can be contained and combated in a targeted manner. Switzerland is largely free of highly contagious animal diseases.
STRICT CONTROLS
The slaughtering process is the most regulated part of meat production. The strictest animal welfare regulations apply in Swiss slaughterhouses. To ensure good meat quality and respect for the animal, Switzerland relies on a stress-free process.
Slaughtering process. By law, cattle, calves and cows may not spend more than eight hours in a transporter.
Any waiting times in the slaughterhouse are kept as short as possible. Swiss slaughterhouses employ well-trained specialists who are also trained in how to handle live animals.
Their work and compliance with animal welfare regulations are monitored by independent bodies in each slaughterhouse.
