PigStun

In EU pig slaughterhouses two stunning methods are most commonly applied: electrical stunning of individual pigs and carbon dioxide gas stunning at high concentration of pigs in groups.

The general objective of the PigStun project was to encourage EU pig slaughterhouses using high CO2 concentration for stunning pigs to convert to systems that are less aversive. This is done by testing promising alternative systems and improvement strategies with respect to animal welfare. The PigStun consortium produced five main deliverables.

PigStun: developing non-aversive stunning methods for pigs

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To support the move away from current high CO2 stunning systems, PigStun tested novel approaches and stunning systems along two lines of thinking. The first one looked at the induction phase of different Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (CAS) systems and using inert gasses. The second one aims to reduce stress during pre-stun handling (see next section).

To support the move away from current high CO2 stunning systems, PigStun tested novel approaches and stunning systems along two lines of thinking. The previous section is about the induction phase of different Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (CAS) systems and use of inert gasses. This section describes the second line: reducing stress during pre-stun handling, allowing a calmer entry into the stunner.

Factsheets are available in all EU languages.

The Results, Conclusions and Recommendations of the project were presented at a Stakeholder Meeting in Brussels on 4 April 2025. Around 50 delegates attended the meeting physically, and 150 joined the lively discussions on line.

In April 2025, the PigStun project presented its outcomes by native speakers to an audience of 128 stakeholders (in total) in 6 main pig producing countries. The 6 countries were The Netherlands, Spain, Germany, France, Poland and Denmark.