The Mercabarna Slaughterhouse is the first in Catalonia to be awarded the new certificate. To obtain it, auditors inspected the process the animals undergo from the moment they enter the Slaughterhouse until their carcasses are slit open. The process includes their transportation, unloading, the trip they undertake to the place where they are kept, the way they are killed, etc., as well as other parameters such as the condition of the facilities and personnel training.

The certificate, a pioneer in Spain, is renewed every six months, guaranteeing that the quality levels in the slaughterhouse are upheld. For now it affects only the cattle line, but the IRTA is already working on the preparation of a protocol for sheep.