Edited sentence: All people involved in the slaughter and butchering must be healthy, dressed with a hat, apron and boots, and clean hands.Others, on the other hand, think of it as an important part of Croatian tradition.Recently, animal rights protesters and vegetarians in Croatia have complained about the slaughtering process arguing that it is cruel and causes unnecessary suffering to the livestock.The location of the killing needs to be a clean concrete surface with a sewer canal, meaning that the space can be easily cleaned.The recommended practice of dazing pigs by shooting them with a bolt pistol to the forehead prior to killing has both a practical and a humane rationale - it reduces the animal stress which helps meat quality, and it prevents the situations where the animal is first wounded and then brutally put down.The standard of hygiene long recommended by veterinarians has included various requirements for the people, tools and space used in the process.The tools (knives, axes, saws etc) are sharpened, cleaned and disinfected before use, and they should be kept in a clean place throughout the process, preferably in a clean toolbox around the butcher's belt.The trough used should have a zinced surface which is easy to clean and disinfect; the wooden troughs absorb water and microorganisms which makes unsuitable.There are worries that the entry of Croatia into the EU may see stricter legislation governing the treatment of animals and food hygiene come into force.There have been no such complaints in Serbia.This could mean that the practices around svinjokolja will be made illegal with all butchery moving to controlled, inspected facilities