China to apply more humane slaughter methods

The manual “Technological Requirements on Humane Methods of Slaughter” stresses merciful consideration of animals’ feelings throughout four steps involved in the slaughter process.

1. Unloading of livestock from vehicles
2. Keeping them in sties
3. Transporting them to slaughterhouse
4. The slaughter itself

It suggests such methods as herding pigs with plastic prods rather than electric ones and killing the animals within 15 minutes of stunning.

China initiated the “Project on Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter” programme in the Henan Province and plans to gradually implement it nationwide.

Starting this year (2008), training on humane killing methods will be carried out in more than 20,000 commercial slaughterhouses across the country.

China processes 70 million tonnes of pork, beef and lamb each year. Its pork production, about 50 million tons each year, makes up almost half of the world’s total output.

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