Keywords: Consciousness

European Parliament: Answer to Question E-001217/24: Welfare of crustaceans at slaughter

Question: Sarah Wiener (Greens/EFA). Answer: Mrs Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2024

Response from the European Commission to an MEP's question on the welfare of crustaceans at slaughter. The Commission states that it has mandated EFSA to produce an expert opinion on the welfare of certain invertebrates such as decapods. It also refers to the creation, at the beginning of 2024, of the EU Reference Center for Aquatic Animal Welfare.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Crustaceans

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Euthanasia

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Animal welfare at slaughter: perceptions and knowledge across cultures

Michelle Sinclair, Maria José Hötzel, Natasha Y. P. Lee, Maria Catalina T. de Luna, Arvind Sharma, Musadiq Idris, Mohammad Ariful Islam, Oluwaseun S. Iyasere, Grisel Navarro, Abdelkareem A. Ahmed, Georgette Leah Burns, Michael Curry, Jeremy N. Marchant

Published in 2023

Analysis of a survey of the general public to assess knowledge and attitudes towards animal welfare during slaughter (including religious slaughter), in 14 culturally and religiously diverse countries. The results suggest that concern for reducing animal suffering during slaughter is a universal human tendency rather than a cultural development. Acceptance of slaughter without prior stunning is linked to local interpretations of religious requirements.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Fish, Pigs, Poultry

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Education, Euthanasia, Fear, Human-animal relationships

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Welfare of invertebrates: a pilot study on a new land snail stunning technique

Fossati P., Stefanini F.M., Ravasio G., Coerezza U.

Published in 2024

Scientific article providing preliminary data on the effectiveness of a method of stunning edible snails based on immersion in refrigerated water enriched with CO2 intended to avoid the suffering experienced by these invertebrates when slaughtered.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Molluscs

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Pain, Euthanasia

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Animal sentience included in Belgian Constitution

Eurogroup for Animals

Published in 2024

Article announcing the addition of animal sentience to the Belgian Constitution, making Belgium the sixth EU member state to include animals in its Constitution.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Consciousness, Societal issues

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Towards the humane slaughter of decapod crustaceans: identifying the most effective indicators of insensibility following electrical stunning

Douglas M. Neil, Endre Putyora, Amaya Albalat

Published in 2024

Scientific paper showing that electrical stunning causes nerve activity to cease in two crustacean species at both central and peripheral levels. However, cardiac activity continues for over an hour after stunning. Heart rate is not therefore a reliable indicator of the sensitivity of crustaceans or of the effectiveness of stunning.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Crustaceans

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Pain, Euthanasia, Brain integration

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Animal Welfare Committee: opinion on alternatives to culling newly hatched chicks in the egg and poultry industry

Animal Welfare Committtee (UK)

Published in 2023

Report on technologies with the potential to help end the culling of newly hatched male chicks. It identifies the possible risks to welfare posed by their use, and puts forward alternative  ideas and views on the matter.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Euthanasia, Welfare indicators, Societal issues, Stress

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Assemblée nationale : réponse écrite à la question n° 12158 : Mise en place d’un droit de visite parlementaire dans les abattoirs

Karine Lebon (Gauche démocrate et républicaine - NUPES - Réunion). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Published in 2023

Answer to a question concerning the position of the French Ministry of Agriculture on the possibility of parliamentary visits to abbatoirs, livestock farms and other facilities where livestock is kept.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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The Welfare of Birds at Slaughter in the United States

Animal Welfare Institute

Published in 2023

Report by the Animal Welfare Institute following a review of federal food inspection documents produced by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) between 2020 and 2022. It assesses the federal government's oversight of the slaughter of farmed birds in the USA.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Processing

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Global Trends in Halal Food Standards: A Review

J. Akbar, M. Gul, M. Jahangir, M. Adnan, S. Saud, S. Hassan, T. Nawaz, S. Fahad

Published in 2023

Scientific review examining the similarities and differences between halal standards in various Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Cattle, Dogs, Sheep, Poultry

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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What are farm animals thinking?

David Grimm

Published in 2023

Article summarizing recent research on the mental faculties of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, describing the importance of this work   in better addressing the needs of the above species, and explaining why it had not previously been  arried out.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Category of animals: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines

Keywords:Consciousness, Memory, Metacognition, Personality, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships

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