Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Welfare and Religious Slaughter

Welfare considerations around religious slaughter of pigs and policies in different jurisdictions.

Key Facts

Most major food certifiers require pre-slaughter stunning for pigs
Halal pork is not relevant as pork is prohibited in Islam
Kosher certifiers do not certify pork products as pork is not kosher
Pre-slaughter stunning is therefore universal for pigs in most markets
EU law permits religious slaughter without stunning for some species but pigs are typically stunned

Welfare Considerations

Pig slaughter welfare is primarily addressed through stunning requirements, with religious exemptions not applying to pigs in the same way as for cattle and sheep.

What You Can Do

Support universal pre-slaughter stunning requirements in animal welfare legislation
Choose pork from supply chains with verified stunning at slaughter
Advocate for welfare-focused slaughter inspection and monitoring