Effective stunning before slaughter is the primary welfare safeguard for farmed animals. Failures in stunning cause animals to experience pain during killing.
Stunning before slaughter is intended to render animals immediately unconscious before killing. When it works correctly, it prevents the animal from experiencing the pain of slaughter. However, audits have found that a significant proportion of animals are inadequately stunned, particularly in high-throughput plants where line speed makes careful positioning difficult. Mandatory CCTV monitoring in slaughterhouses, regular stunning efficacy audits, and line speed limits tied to stunning accuracy would improve welfare outcomes for billions of animals.