Electrical water bath stunning for Halal poultry meat production: animal welfare issues and compatibility with the Halal rules.

Abstract

The use of electrical water bath stunning for the 'humane' slaughter of poultry has drawn criticism from some animal welfare research scientists and animal welfare organizations throughout the world. During water bath stunning, birds are shackled and inverted prior to entry into an electrified water bath, current is passed from the head, through the body and legs to earth via stainless steel shackles. From a Halal perspective, the rules stipulate that the welfare of animals is protected at all times and that animals must be alive (not conscious) at the point of neck-cutting. Some Muslim authorities have therefore questioned the suitability of water bath stunning for Halal meat production due to its negative impact on animal welfare and the possibility of some birds dying prior to exsanguination. This paper examines possible welfare compromises during water bath stunning and how these may affect compatibility with the rules of Halal meat production.

Halal food marketing: an evaluation of UK halal standards

“…EHOS is also the stunning method approved by some Muslim-majority countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and others. In the case of water bath stunning, there have been suggestions that water bath stunning can result in the fibrillation of the heart (depending on the electrical parameters JIMA 12,5 and other factors) and can possibly cause the death of birds before neck-cutting (Fuseini et al, 2018). It should be noted that although the Food Standards Agency (FSA) (2019) report indicated that 99% of Halal beef is derived from stunned animals, none of the certifiers surveyed in the current study approve penetrative captive bolt stunning (the foremost stunning system used for beef in the UK).…”

Sustainable livestock agriculture from Islamic perspective

“…It is for these welfare issues that Zivotofsky and Strous [41] questioned the humaneness of water bath stunning and other electrical stunning systems and called for more research to be done to find better welfare compliant methods of killing animals. Fuseini and colleagues [42] recently highlighted the welfare aspects of water bath stunning during Halal slaughter and suggested the need for stakeholders in the Halal sector to take measures to mitigate these issues.…”

Bem-Estar Animal: Caracterização Da Ambiência E Do Manejo Na Produção E Abate De Frangos De Corte

“…Segundo Fuseini et al (37), a posição de inversão das aves na pendura compromete o BEA, devido ao desconforto físico e respiratório. Além disso, o procedimento mal realizado, pendurando o frango por apenas um pé pode provocar dor e fraturas (38).…”

“…De acordo com Ludtke et al (38), para uma eficiente insensibilização, a cabeça dos frangos deve entrar em contato com a água do tanque, evitando-se o pré-choque e a tentativa do animal de se esquivar. Em contrapartida, Fuseini et al (37) relataram que muitos pesquisadores não aprovam tal método, a começar pelas atividades que antecedem o atordoamento em si, como a retirada das aves do interior das gaiolas, a pendura pelos pés com a cabeça imersa em cuba com água e a pressão exercida nas coxas pelos ganchos. De acordo com os autores, ainda há a possibilidade de as aves retomarem a consciência durante a sangria, ou após o sangramento mal feito.…”