European Parliament discusses suffering of pigs during CO2 stunning Commission refuses responsibility

Strasbourg 13.03.2015. European animal welfare organisations and political parties have been criticising the stunning of slaughter pigs with carbon dioxide for years. The CO2 stunning is, from the point of view of animal welfare, a “torturous stunning method, because the pigs suffer from pain and panic for up to 60 seconds”, says project manager Sabrina Gurtner, Animal Welfare Foundation. Already 10 years ago, the European Food Safety Authority EFSA asked the Member States to phase out stunning by CO2, as it is no humane method. “Now the European Parliament has for the first time addressed this topic”, declares Sabrina Gurtner pleased.