Slaughter plant welfare audits are a critical mechanism for ensuring that stunning and killing methods meet welfare standards, but audit quality varies enormously.
Slaughter plant welfare depends on consistent application of effective stunning and humane handling during a high-speed, high-pressure operation. The welfare gap between compliant and non-compliant facilities is enormous — the difference between effective stunning and a failed stun is the difference between instantaneous insensibility and continued consciousness during killing. Rigorous audit and surveillance programs are the primary enforcement mechanism. The exclusion of poultry from US stunning requirements means the largest segment by numbers — over 9 billion birds annually — is inadequately protected.