Lobsters, crabs and other decapod crustaceans show evidence of pain and stress responses, raising ethical concerns about common practices including boiling alive and cooking from cold that are standard in many countries.
The welfare of decapod crustaceans has shifted from a fringe concern to mainstream scientific and legislative debate in recent years. The evidence reviewed for the UK sentience recognition exercise demonstrated a balance of probability that these animals experience pain and distress. Boiling alive is a prolonged death that, if these animals feel pain, involves significant suffering. The availability of more humane alternatives — rapid electrical stunning, percussive killing, or the Crustastun device — means that the welfare cost of continuing to boil alive is difficult to justify. Consumer awareness of this issue is growing and driving changes in chef practice and restaurant standards.