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Why is CO2 used in slaughterhouse?
It is intended to cause unconsciousness so that slaughter may be carried out without fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, or distress. The most common methods to stun pigs are electrical stunning and exposure to high concentrations of carbon dioxide gas (CO2).
Why is CO2 used to kill animals?
Carbon dioxide gas is used to induce unconsciousness. As the animal inhales the carbon dioxide gas, blood oxygen level decreases resulting in a loss of brain function and eventual brain death.
Is carbon dioxide used to kill pigs?
Increasingly, in larger plants in the UK and elsewhere, carbon dioxide is being used for the stunning and killing of pigs. For large operations with high throughput rates (eg 800 per hour), this is often the most reliable slaughter method for ensuring consistency in terms of good welfare and quality.
Is CO2 used to kill animals?
The idea that using CO2 to kill pigs and poultry is kinder is a myth, according to the head of campaign group Compassion in World Farming (CWIF), which plans to lobby the government to ban the gas in slaughterhouses.
Why is carbon dioxide used to kill pigs?
As with many gas killing systems, carbon dioxide partly acts by displacing oxygen so the brain cannot function and brain death ensues.
How are pigs stunned with CO2 before slaughter?
Pigs are stunned using a 70\% to 90\% carbon dioxide concentrate. They are typically loaded in groups of about half a dozen onto something like a paternoster lift, which lowers them gradually into ever higher concentrations of the gas.
What is CO2 stunning of Pigs?
CO2 stunning of pigs, also referred to as Controlled Atmosphere Stunning, is often touted as the most humane method of rendering pigs unconscious before slitting their throats at the slaughterhouse.
Is co2-stunned pork humane?
The majority of large-scale pork producers around the world use the CO2 stunning method, claiming it is more “humane” than stunning animals with an electric prod. The CO2 stun itself can take up to a minute. Pigs are herded into metal cages and then lowered into gas chambers, where they are gassed for roughly 90 seconds.
What are the benefits of using CO2 gas to stun animals?
Stunning with CO 2 gas offers benefits over electrical stunning including the ability to stun animals in groups, with minimal restraint, less handling, and therefore potentially less stress before stunning. There is also less reliance on the skills of the people operating the equipment.
How are pigs killed in Australian slaughterhouses?
Most pigs in Australia and several countries in Europe are killed using carbon dioxide gas chambers. Carbon dioxide gas chambers are considered to be the most “humane” method to kill pigs. During 2015, Animal Liberation Victoria and Animal Liberation carried out an undercover investigation inside three pig slaughterhouses in Victoria, Australia.