Cow slaughter is down 8.1 percent from 2003, perhaps because of the reported case of mad cow disease, which claimed its first human life in 2003

Nutrition Health Review, Summer, 2004

COW SLAUGHTER IS DOWN 8.1 PERCENT from 2003, perhaps because of the reported case of mad cow disease, which claimed its first human life in 2003. However, this decrease is countered by increases in the slaughtering of pigs and chickens.

Globally, the number of animals slaughtered for food in 2002 was 52.7 billion, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This number does not account for non-slaughter deaths, inadequate reporting by smaller countries, and billions of aquatic animals.