PETA files poultry lawsuit in California
According to PETA, the reports, on California slaughterhouses, suggest that an estimated seven million birds could still be alive at the point that they are placed in the defeathering tanks.
The animal rights group argues that electrical stunning of poultry violates California’s Humane Slaughter Law, which states that all animals be rendered insensible to pain, before being cut and bled.
"The electric shock is intended to induce seizures that supposedly render the animals unconscious and insensible to pain. But in reality — according to scientific research published in peer-reviewed journals — around one-third are still conscious when their throats are cut, and they remain conscious throughout the bleed-out process. After this, they’re thrown — while still alive — into a scalding tank, where they sink to the bottom and drown or boil to death," reads PETA’s latest blog.
Upon asking PETA to provide a link to the aforementioned scientific research, we were told by a spokesperson that: "The statement distills published research spanning a decade, consisting of dozens of items, so no single link can be provided."
A spokesperson for the CDFA, told GlobalMeatNews that the issue had not previously been raised with the Department by PETA, and that its staff were reviewing the suit.
