An animal welfare advisory committee in the United Kingdom has called for an end to CO2 stunning of pigs before slaughter.
It has recommended it be phased out within five years.
The independent body advises the federal agriculture department.
The report states that exposure of conscious pigs to high concentrations of CO2 is associated with three major welfare concerns: pain, respiratory distress and fear.
The reports looks into the viability of other methods of stunning, including exposure to an inert gas mixture such as argon or nitrogen. It notes that there are ‘technical challenges’ to using inert gases in current CO2 systems or with modification.
If the United Kingdom adopts the advice, it might lead to a significant loss of Canadian pork exports to the country.
