EFSA delivers inconclusive scientific opinion on stunning
Its Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) was asked by the European Commission to deliver a scientific opinion on three studies evaluating electrical parameters for the stunning of lambs and kid goats. However, the studies, received from the Spanish authorities, were deemed inadequate for a full welfare assessment of stunning methods studied, because they didn’t meet the full eligibility criteria.
Current recommendations for the stunning of lambs/kids is 1.0A, for a head-only stun, according to the Humane Slaughter Association.
The three studies submitted to the EFSA AHAW came in the form of a manuscript, entitled ‘Electrical stunning effectiveness with current levels lower than 1 A in lambs and kid goats’.
The second study consisted of a summary, entitled ‘Effect of the electrical stunning with inferior intensities of current to 1 Ampere on the carcase quality in Pascuales lambs’. while the third study consisted of a summary entitled ‘Effect of electrical stunning with inferior intensities to 1 Ampere on the induction to the unconsciousness in lambs’.
According to the panel, the reported outcomes for different animal categories were inconsistent and contradictory, "indicating a need to validate if the stunning equipment delivered the intended current levels to the animals".
It added that the head-only stunning and slaughter intervention failed to achieve cardiac ventricular fibrillation in all of the animals, and no evidence of absence of pain and suffering was presented in the studies.
"The stunning parameters proposed in the study do not fulfil the animal welfare requirement, which is the successful induction of unconsciousness until the onset of death via slaughter or cardiac ventricular fibrillation," said EFSA.
