Liver condemnations at slaughter provide valuable welfare data about pig health during production, reflecting management conditions on farm.
Slaughterhouse data on liver condemnations provides a rare window into welfare conditions during production that is often invisible to consumers and regulators. Milk spots in pig livers indicate that animals experienced Ascaris larval migration through the lungs and liver - an active infection process that triggers immune responses and potentially causes discomfort. High liver pathology rates signal that many pigs in intensive systems are carrying significant parasitic burdens throughout their lives. The clear association between housing system and pathology rates demonstrates that intensive confinement creates welfare problems that less intensive alternatives avoid.