Snails are widely used in food, cosmetics, and research, with emerging evidence suggesting they may experience nociception.
The welfare status of snails remains scientifically contested but evidence suggests they have nociceptive responses to tissue damage. Common killing methods like boiling and salting likely cause distress if snails have any capacity for subjective experience. Under the precautionary principle, more rapid killing methods are preferable. Commercial snail farming rarely considers these concerns.