Slaughter is the most acute welfare challenge in pig production. Stunning method, handling before stunning, and stunning effectiveness all profoundly affect suffering.
Slaughter welfare deserves more public attention than it typically receives. The quality of the final minutes of a pig's life depends entirely on the stunning method, the handler's skill, and the plant's protocols. CO2 stunning — used in the majority of European pork processing — is highly aversive during induction, causing apparent panic, gasping, and vocalization before insensibility. High-welfare alternatives including inert gas stunning cause loss of consciousness without obvious distress. Pre-slaughter handling improvements — reducing electric prod use, minimizing mixing of unfamiliar pigs, providing calm lairage — address the hours before stunning. Consumer and regulatory pressure for improved slaughter welfare is the primary driver of change in this area.