European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) on a request from the Commission related with the welfare aspects of the main systems of stunning and killing applied to commercially farmed deer, goats, rabbits, ostriches, ducks, geese

Question number: EFSA-Q-2005-005

Summary  (0.1Mb)

Opinion  (0.2Mb)

It is a legal obligation in the EU to stun animals before killing them so that the animal is unconscious and does not feel pain. Few exemptions are granted to this rule and then only in some Member States to allow for religious slaughter requirements. EU legislation aims to ensure that appropriate measures are applied across the EU to maximise animal welfare conditions for farm animals. Stunning is therefore required under that legislation, so that slaughter can be carried out without causing unnecessary fear, anxiety, pain, suffering or distress to the animal.

To ensure that the best methods of stunning are applied and to gain a better understanding of the process, the European Commission asked the EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) to make a full evaluation of and give its opinion on the main systems of stunning and killing as they apply to deer, goats, rabbits, ostriches, ducks, geese and quail,looking in particular at aspects of animal welfare, biosecurity and the microbiological safety of the carcass. The chapter on the food safety aspects of stunning was adopted jointly by the AHAW Panel and the Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ).

AHAW panel found in its conclusions that published scientific information on slaughter and killing issues for the species under consideration was very scarce. It identifies an urgent need for further detailed investigation of the methods, mechanisms and effects of the different stunning methods and of their technical and organisational performance in practice. The Panel recommends improved and continuing education of staff to ensure good animal welfare. The opinion also advises industry and those who apply stunning and killing, to develop and implement quality control programs which can be audited and which will ensure that poor stun quality will be detected and corrective measures provided.

As there are no ideal methods of stunning and killing appropriate to all types of farm animals for commercial slaughter or disease control purposes, the Panel considers it necessary to select procedures, that with proper application, will have the greatest advantages in terms of animal welfare, biosecurity and microbiological safety of the carcass.

Stunning and killing methods induce unconsciousness and death either simultaneously or sequentially. Stunning induces temporary loss of consciousness and relies solely on prompt and accurate sticking procedures to facilitate bleeding and to cause death. Sticking involves the severing of major blood vessels e.g. neck cutting or chest sticking. If sticking is not promptly carried out, the adequately stunned animal has the potential to regain brain and body functions. As the duration of unconsciousness and insensibility varies between methods, species and animals, the procedures most appropriate to deer, goats, rabbits, ostriches, ducks, geese and quail should be applied. Some stunning and killing methods do not rely on bleeding to cause death and are a better option when available and proven to be effective.

The opinion makes recommendations for some methods over others, specifying which species are best served by each one. For example, red and fallow deer that are not used to humans will be at risk of poor welfare if subjected to handling and restraining as well as transport. For them, the recommendation is not to transport them but to shoot them in situ using free bullet. The Panel warns however that effectivity of this method depends on the training and skill of the personal involved. For geese in contrast, the only effective and proven method is to use the percussive stunning method.

Gas and electrical stunning methods are both seen to be highly effective for most species. However both are very demanding in terms of the technical equipment needed and require skilled people and effective monitoring of the processes.

All of the methods described depend for their proper implementation on good practices. It is important that all operators involved with stunning and slaughter should be competent, properly trained and that they should have a positive attitude towards the welfare of the animals. In addition, all the equipment used for stunning or stunning and killing should be maintained in good working condition, evidence of the parameters applied should be recorded as well as maintenance and rectified defects records.

The BIOHAZ Panel affirms that there are indeed food safety concerns associated with some methods used for the animal species dealt with in this opinion. According to the Panel, the knowledge and data currently available are insufficient to quantify the food safety risks associated with these stunning methods; that nevertheless, such risks cannot be excluded.

The main concern relates to penetrating captive bolt (Pcb) stunning of goats and the potential dissemination of central nervous system (CNS) emboli into edible tissues with consequent exposure of humans to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent. Caution is recommended in this area and further research is needed.

Another concern addressed by the BIOHAZ Panel points to the current lack of knowledge on the extent of microbial contamination of water used in stunning baths for ducks, geese and quail. This according to the Panel, means the fate of foodborne pathogens that may be present in such water is unknown; although it can be assumed that there is a risk of contamination of the lungs of those species with such pathogens in the course of stunning. It is also advised that such risks may be addressed through appropriate Good Hygiene Practice measures and recommends further research to determine the extent of any such risk.

This opinion follows on from an earlier AHAW Panel opinion and report of June 2004, that investigated the welfare aspects of the main systems of stunning and killing techniques as they apply to cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens and turkeys, horses and farmed fish, including methods applied in slaughterhouses and on the farm in disease control situations.

These two opinions and accompanying reports from the AHAW Panel, taken together, address stunning and killing of most species kept for farming purposes within the EU.

Report  (0.5Mb)