Study funded by HSA and DEFRA finds Low Atmospheric Pressure Stunning is not a humane alternative to Carbon Dioxide for stunning pigs. Alternatives must now be urgently implemented
15 May 2024
The Humane Slaughter Association’s position regarding the slaughter of all animals is that they should be killed as humanely as possible with every reasonable effort made to reduce pain, suffering and distress to an absolute minimum.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is widely used to stun pigs prior to slaughter. However, robust scientific evidence shows that it causes significant animal welfare issues. As early as 2003, the then UK Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) called for CO2 to be phased out within five years1, yet two decades later this method continues to be widely used (for example, in the UK, over 80% of pigs are stunned with CO2). The HSA view is that a more humane alternative to CO2 should be adopted as soon as possible.
In support of this aim, in 2018 the HSA co-funded research alongside the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to test one potentially humane alternative stunning method – Low Atmospheric Pressure Stunning (LAPS). Unfortunately, the research showed that LAPS was not a humane alternative for stunning pigs, although it had previously been shown to be a more humane method of poultry slaughter. The researchers conclude that “Collectively, our results show that both LAPS and CO2 stunning are associated with several indicators of poor welfare and are equally aversive to pigs.” The final report2 detailing the project findings has just been published and can be downloaded at: https://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=19805
It was important to test a method which could potentially have provided a humane and sustainable solution for pig stunning. However, now that LAPS has been shown not to be the alternative to CO2 that many had hoped, it is essential that other alternatives are adopted without undue delay.