Pigs
Pig welfare and ethical considerations during abattoir stunning: CO2 vs. alternative methods such as argon gas
Summary
Pigs are the fourth most commonly slaughtered species used for food, after fish, chickens, and ducks. In 2022, an estimated 1.49 billion pigs were slaughtered globally. Within the UK, more than 11.4 million pigs, sows and boars were slaughtered in 2022. By late 2024, this equated to nearly a million pigs monthly, or almost a quarter of a million weekly.
Approximately 88% of pigs in England and Wales are stunned and killed using high concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas. This method causes severe animal suffering, including pain, fear and respiratory distress, before pigs lose consciousness. Given these serious welfare concerns, a ban on high-concentration CO₂ stunning is warranted on animal welfare grounds.
The research examines these welfare concerns alongside alternative stunning methods, identifying argon gas as a potentially less harmful alternative while emphasising the urgent need to develop more humane methods of stunning and slaughter.
Mace JL & Knight A (2025). Pig welfare and ethical considerations during abattoir stunning: CO2 vs. alternative methods such as argon gas. Front. Vet. Sci. 12:1542798. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1542798.
