Call for data on head-only electrical stunning of heavy pigs

EFSA-Q-number: EFSA-Q-2025-00653
Published: 28 November 2025
Deadline for submission of EU Survey: 15 January 2026

Background

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) received a request pursuant to Article 29 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, to deliver a scientific opinion on the welfare of heavy pigs during head-only electrical stunning. In order to ensure a comprehensive assessment, EFSA launches a public call for data (published, unpublished or newly generated data) from interested parties. EFSA will then consider the relevance of the information provided for the risk assessment. The submission of the requested information is without prejudice to the final opinion of the unit Panel. The mandate can be consulted in Open.EFSA (M-2025-00139).

Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing establishes that animals must be spared avoidable pain, distress and suffering during killing and related operations, and that stunning must induce loss of consciousness and sensibility without pain and maintain it until death. Annex I of the Regulation lists permitted stunning methods and specifications and currently sets a minimum current of 1.3 amperes (A) for the head-only electrical stunning of pigs.

Under Article 26(3), Member States may introduce stricter national rules when new scientific evidence indicates a need for more extensive protection of animals during killing. On 25 April 2025, Sweden notified the European Commission of its intention to introduce a stricter requirement for the head-only electrical stunning of pigs over 150 kg, proposing a minimum current of 1.8 A. Sweden justifies the measure on the basis that lower currents may fail to reliably induce immediate and irreversible unconsciousness in heavy pigs. Insufficient stunning may result in partial or regained consciousness during bleeding, causing substantial avoidable suffering.

In line with the Regulation, the Commission has asked EFSA to provide a scientific opinion assessing whether current scientific evidence supports Sweden’s proposed minimum current for pigs over 150 kg. In particular, EFSA is requested to assess whether the application of a minimum current of 1.8 A for head-only electrical stunning is sufficient to induce unconsciousness in pigs weighing more than 150 kg at slaughter.

Overall objective

The purpose of this call for data is to offer interested parties (e.g., food business operators, national competent authorities (veterinary), research institutions, academia) and/or other stakeholders, the opportunity to submit documented information relevant to the Request for a scientific opinion concerning the notification by Sweden of stricter national measures according to Article 26(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009, EFSA-Q-2025-00653.

Specific objectives

EFSA is looking for studies/papers/reports evaluating whether the use of a current of 1,8 amperes during the head-only electrical stunning on heavy pigs (>150 kg) is sufficient for an effective stunning, and to identify potential welfare risks associated with insufficient stunning. In particular EFSA aims:

• To review and summarise recent scientific literature on the effectiveness and welfare outcomes of head-only electrical stunning in heavy pigs (>150 kg).
• To evaluate whether evidence supports a minimum current of 1.8 A in heavy pigs as proposed by Sweden.
• To compare recent findings with previous EFSA assessments to identify consistent conclusions or new insights.

Data sought and data submission format

EFSA kindly invites interested parties to submit information as outlined in the questionnaire linked here: EU SURVEY. In case of confidential data, interested parties shall submit the confidential data through the Submission builder Portalino (see section “CONFIDENTIALITY” for details).

Upon opening the EU Survey, instructions are provided on how to complete the questionnaire and interested parties are guided through a series of questions related to the specific objectives of this call. Please note that the survey can be submitted only once. We recommend reviewing your answers carefully before finalising your submission. The EU Survey tool permits saving a draft of your replies before submitting. The final replies to the questions are sent by clicking on the SUBMIT button.

Deadline for submission of data

Interested parties and stakeholders should submit data by 15 January 2026 by filling out the questionnaire in the EU SURVEY.

Confidentiality

In order to comply with requirements for proactive transparency, EFSA must, inter alia, make public the information on which its scientific outputs are based, as outlined in Article 38(1)(d) of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, the “General Food Law” (GFL) and Article 6(1)(i) of EFSA’s Practical Arrangements concerning transparency and confidentiality (“EFSA’s Practical Arrangements”). Information/data received in the context of the present call are subject to the afore-mentioned proactive transparency requirements since it will constitute information on which scientific outputs, including scientific opinions, are based.

However, in accordance with Articles 39-39e of the GFL, confidential status may be awarded to information the disclosure of which might potentially harm the information owner to a significant degree. Provided that the conditions set out in Articles 39-39e and further detailed in EFSA’s Practical Arrangements are satisfied, EFSA must not make public any information/data for which confidential treatment has been requested and duly justified, pending its confidentiality assessment where urgent action is essential to protect human health, animal health or the environment.

How to submit confidential information/data

Interested parties claiming confidentiality should submit the information/data in electronic format exclusively via the tool Submission Builder Portalino. Submission of confidential information/data in any other form (email, third party e-submission platforms, etc) will not be accepted. Information regarding what can be claimed confidential can be found in the User Guide on Confidentiality. Information on how to use Portalino and submit confidentiality requests is available in the User guide on Portalino.

Please note that Personal Data (e.g.  name and surname, email address, business address)will be hidden automatically by EFSA without the need to request a confidentiality treatment through Portalino.

In case your information/data includes Confidential Business Information (e.g. commercial links to producers, information revealing sourcing, market shares or business strategy, private studies), these parts of your information/data may be requested to be treated as confidential using the Portalino tool.

Confidentiality can be granted given that:

1. The information falls within the scope of the closed list of information items listed in the Annex to EFSA’s Practical Arrangements;
2. The confidentiality request is accompanied by a verifiable justification that demonstrates how a public disclosure of the information/data for which confidential status is requested would harm your interests to a significant degree.
3. When claiming confidentiality for your information/data, both a non-confidential (public dissemination) and a confidential version of the information/data must be submitted. A separate confidentiality request must be submitted for each document and for each legal ground under which information is claimed confidential. A precise description of the information/data claimed confidential must be provided to enable a clear identification. Information/data claimed confidential must be earmarked in the confidential version and redacted in the non-confidential version.

When submitting confidentiality claim via Portalino, please clearly state the following:

• In the Subject of the submission: Call for data on Stunning of heavy pigs EFSA-Q-2025-00653
• The contact details (name of contact person, name of company/organisation, e-mail address and telephone number) of the person responsible for the data submission and, if applicable, the list of other interested parties represented and their contact details.

Correspondence

Please address any enquiries to RAL [at] efsa.europa.eu using Call for data on Stunning of heavy pigs EFSA-Q-2025-00653 in the title of the email.