Advances in pig slaughter stunning methods are improving welfare at end of life, though significant variation in practice quality remains across the industry.
Pig slaughter welfare has received increasing attention as evidence has mounted that CO2 stunning - the dominant industrial method - causes significant distress during the induction phase before unconsciousness. Pigs exposed to CO2 show escape behavior, vocalizations, and physiological stress responses that indicate aversion. Alternative methods including inert gas stunning and improved electrical stunning protocols offer welfare improvements but face adoption barriers of cost and infrastructure. Mandatory CCTV and improved stunning monitoring have increased consistency of existing methods while research into better alternatives continues.