Pig Slaughter Welfare: Standards and Improvements

Pig slaughter welfare has improved but remains an area with documented welfare failures requiring ongoing attention.

Key Facts

Approximately 10 million pigs are slaughtered in the UK annually
Standard practice involves CO2 stunning in groups, which causes distress in the CO2 phase before unconsciousness
Electrical head-only stunning is a welfare-positive alternative to CO2 for individual pigs
CCTV in slaughterhouses has revealed CO2 stunning welfare problems previously invisible to inspectors
Pre-slaughter handling — lairage conditions, driving, loading density — significantly affects welfare outcomes

Welfare Considerations

Pig slaughter concentrates welfare risks into a high-stress, time-pressured environment where animal welfare can be compromised by throughput pressure. CO2 stunning, while widely used because it allows group processing, causes aversion and distress before unconsciousness — pigs experience breathlessness and panic. Electrical stunning used correctly provides faster unconsciousness with less aversion but requires individual handling. The welfare optimum requires balancing individual handling stress against the distress of CO2 exposure. Ongoing monitoring through CCTV and welfare outcome metrics is essential.

What You Can Do

Support mandatory CCTV and welfare outcome monitoring in all pig slaughterhouses
Advocate for research investment in improving CO2 stunning protocols
Choose pork from certified supply chains that audit slaughter welfare independently
Support development of electrical head-only stunning capacity as an alternative to CO2
Learn about slaughter welfare science and engage with industry improvement discussions