Weasand clip

Lore & Background

Weasand clips were invented in New Zealand, according to Emily Frost of Auckland University. Before their introduction in the 1950s and 1960s, industrial slaughterhouses tied off the weasand by hand with the help of a meat hook. The clip is fastened deep in the esophagus using a rod, ensuring the contents of the rumen do not leak out and contaminate the carcass.

Reader's Guide

Weasand clips represent a specific innovation in industrial slaughterhouse hygiene, replacing manual tying with a faster, standardized plastic fastener. Their significance extends beyond the slaughterhouse, as they have become a notable form of marine plastic pollution in New Zealand. Industrial wastewater from meatpacking plants and seagulls spreading clips from refuse piles introduce them into the environment. Marine life that ingest the clips can suffer internal blockages or punctures from the sharp teeth, and the clips also constitute visual pollution on beaches. Additionally, they act as industrial contaminants in the rendering of animal organs, though they are typically caught and removed during agricultural wastewater treatment screening. The weasand clip thus illustrates the unintended environmental consequences of a narrowly functional industrial tool.

Did You Know?

• Weasand clips were invented in New Zealand, per Emily Frost of Auckland University.
• Before weasand clips, slaughterhouses tied off the weasand by hand with a meat hook.
• The clips are a form of marine plastic pollution in New Zealand, spread by seagulls and wastewater.
• Marine life can suffer internal blockages or punctures from ingesting the sharp teeth of weasand clips.