Effective stunning before slaughter is fundamental to pig welfare. Current stunning methods vary widely in effectiveness, and failures cause significant suffering at the point of death.
Pig slaughter is the endpoint of a welfare journey that demands integrity at every stage. The stunning decision is uniquely morally significant: ineffective stunning means that sentient animals experience the slaughter process consciously. High CO2 stunning causes distress during the induction phase — pigs show clear aversion responses before losing consciousness. The welfare case for CO2 phase-out in favor of less aversive stunning methods is compelling. Every percentage point improvement in stunning reliability translates to millions of pigs experiencing a more humane death.