And to get meat, whether it be from sheep, cattle, chickens pigs or other types of animal species, it must be processed humanely and in a clean environment.

This is why the decision by the NSW Food Authority to shut down an abattoir - admittedly a small one - because of revelations of cruelty, is to be applauded.

Five or more decades ago each small town butcher had his own killing facilities, but the search for standardised and clean processing by government has centralised and focused the processing of animals for human and pet food consumption into large abattoirs. Economy of scale has a major role too.

The NSW Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson said the footage of the abattoir’s staff bashing a pig with an iron bar to stun it should act as a wake-up call for all abattoir operators.

It is our belief this is an isolated example and that large abattoirs like the ones in this city are far more in tune with the demands of the bureaucracy, which in turn mirrors the demands of a modern society.

Yes some people will say, why eat meat at all?

This is not an argument about what is right or wrong in the dietary stakes (pun intended, even though it’s weak).

It is a reminder to those charged with such an important role to do it in an acceptable way.