Animal husbandry AI objective measurement validation in Australian processing plants

20 June 2025
Focus area: Animal welfare
Program stream: Product & process integrity
Project number: 2024-1093

This project, led by Impetus Animal Welfare, tested whether an international AI system could be adapted to monitor animal welfare in Australian red meat processing plants using existing CCTV. 

Over a six-month period, the system was trialled at a beef processing plant to track welfare events during unloading, lairage, and harvest, with staff assisting in assessing accuracy, usability, and compliance fit.

The trial demonstrated how AI can transition welfare monitoring from manual checks to continuous, data-driven oversight, while also highlighting the necessary infrastructure, training, and cultural changes required for wider adoption.

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