If they are not effectively stunned, small ruminants such as sheep and goats can experience intense pain and fear when they are killed, according to a statement issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on Wednesday 26 June.
Outside slaughterhouses, animals may be killed for purposes other than human consumption if, for example, they are unproductive, injured or terminally ill. They can also be killed off by disease or disaster. During the first phase of the process, the animals are handled and moved to the killing site and, during the second phase, they are immobilised and killed.
For EFSA, these two stages can lead to welfare problems, and animals should be adequately stunned so that they do not regain consciousness before being killed. EFSA makes recommendations on the correct use of killing methods to minimise pain. A new opinion on the welfare of equidae at slaughter is expected at the end of 2024.
Link to opinion: https://aeur.eu/f/cu8 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)