Minister for Farming and Food (): As set out in the
Animal Welfare Strategy for England, the Government has committed
to consult on banning the use of carbon dioxide gas stunning of
pigs.
I can announce this consultation launches today, 26 October 2026.
The proposal being consulted on is to ban the use of carbon
dioxide to stun pigs in the UK following an appropriate
transition period, to allow impacted slaughterhouses to convert
to suitable alternative stunning systems.
The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare
at slaughter, and is committed to working closely with industry
to support a sustainable future for British pig production. We
want to ensure that animals receive the care, respect and
protection that they deserve, whilst working with producers to
maintain a resilient meat processing sector.
We wish to address the longstanding welfare concerns associated
with high concentration carbon dioxide stunning of pigs. Evidence
shows that exposure to this gas causes significant pain, fear and
respiratory distress for pigs at the point of slaughter.
The Animal Welfare Committee provided an up-to-date animal
welfare assessment of the evidence on this stunning method, and
potential alternatives, in October 2025. The Committee
recommended that high concentration carbon dioxide, along with
carbon dioxide in gas mixtures, should be removed from the list
of approved pig stunning methods.
We believe that a transition away from carbon dioxide stunning of
pigs would result in a significant improvement to pig welfare at
the time of killing. This transition should be managed in a way
that allows the industry to make the necessary technological
changes and maintain economic viability.
The consultation will provide all stakeholders with the
opportunity to share views and evidence on the proposal,
including on costs, feasibility, welfare impacts and
implementation considerations. The consultation will be published
on GOV.UK and will be open until 21 December 2026.
