Government moves closer towards UK phaseout of CO2 to stun pigs

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The UK government has moved a step closer towards phasing out the use of CO2 to stun and slaughter pigs, owing to long-understood animal welfare concerns. 

Announcing a consultation last month on how to most effectively implement the ban, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed its intention to ban the use of CO2 in slaughterhouses and knacker’s yards, saying it would “result in a significant improvement to pig welfare at the time of killing”. 

Defra has invited industrial gas manufacturers, pig processors, slaughterhouses and retailers to respond to the consultation, saying the transition away from CO2 “should be managed in a way that allows the industry to make the necessary technological changes to convert current systems and maintain economic viability”. The consultation is open until 21 December. 

The move comes after an independent expert committee last year recommended a switch to alternatives by 2030, owing to the “severe pain and stress” it causes in pigs, the latest in a line of similar calls dating back over 20 years. CO2 is used to slaughter 90% of pigs reared in England and Wales, and inert gases such as argon are seen as the most viable alternative that would improve pig welfare. 

However, Defra’s decision to launch the consultation was criticised by some MPs. Alistair Carmichael, chair of the environment committee in parliament, accused Defra of “consulting on stuff that you haven’t properly trialled”, highlighting that there were still significant gaps in the evidence supporting a move to inert gases. A former British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) chief executive told TCE last year that “no one has been prepared to fund the research”. 

The BMPA strongly opposes the transition away from CO2 and responded immediately to the consultation. “We fully support improving animal welfare, but Defra should have commissioned the necessary research before launching this consultation,” said current BMPA chief executive John Powell. “At present, there is no proven, commercially viable alternative to CO2 that can maintain the throughput required by British pig processors and the supply demanded by British consumers. 

“Without a viable alternative to CO2, we risk reducing domestic processing capacity, undermining British pig farming and becoming more reliant on imported pork from countries that continue to use CO2 as a tried and tested method of stunning. At a time when food security is already under pressure, that would be deeply irresponsible.”

Earlier this week, the UK and EU signed a deal to align standards on a number of food and animal products and remove new customs checks introduced after Brexit. Powell argued that the fact that the EU is not currently considering a CO2 ban will “dramatically decrease our competitiveness”.