Pig Gassing: a small step forward, but not far enough

The UK Government has finally launched its public consultation on phasing out carbon dioxide (CO₂) stunning of pigs.

Each year, 90 per cent of the 10 million pigs killed in UK slaughterhouses are gassed using CO₂ – a method that a large body of evidence shows is highly aversive, causing the animals significant pain and distress before death.

Viva! welcomes this important step towards ending one of the cruellest practices in British farming. For more than 20 years, the Government’s own Animal Welfare Committee (previously the Farm Animal Welfare Council) has called for CO₂ gassing to be phased out. In that time, its use has grown dramatically.

Three years ago, we launched our Gasping for Life campaign to expose pig gassing to the British public. We’ve driven video vans through major cities, put up massive billboards and posters on London transport, protested against some of the biggest pig gassing companies and spoken with thousands of members of the public about switching to vegan alternatives.

People are disgusted when they learn about the pain and suffering that gassing causes. The majority of the British public are opposed to using CO₂ to slaughter pigs and nine out of ten people want intensive farming methods to be banned. We now have a real opportunity to ban CO₂ gassing once and for all.

But a consultation is not a ban and the British pig industry is already pushing back.

Even if a ban goes ahead, it won’t go far enough. The Government plans to replace CO₂ with methods it calls ‘less aversive’, such as argon gas and automated electrical stunning. Yet argon still kills pigs by starving them of oxygen and electrical stunning doesn’t guarantee they’re unconscious when their throats are cut. Worse still, the Government’s plan aims to keep slaughter numbers up and may even increase them. That means more cruelty and exploitation and increased environmental damage, wildlife loss and food insecurity.

So, let’s be clear about where we stand. We support ending CO₂ gassing because it causes pigs severe respiratory pain, panic and avoidable suffering before they lose consciousness. But less cruel is not the same as humane. There is no humane way to kill a frightened animal who does not want to die. The only real answer is to stop killing pigs altogether and close the slaughterhouses for good.

We urge you to submit a response to the consultation in your own words demanding:

• A legally binding ban on CO₂ gassing, with the shortest possible transition period
• A published timetable with clear milestones and proper enforcement
• No new slaughterhouses and a halt to expanding existing ones
• Targets to reduce meat and dairy consumption and to transition to plant-based food systems
• Support for pig farmers to transition to plant-based farming

Be sure to submit your response to the consultation using the button above before the deadline of 21 December 2026.

About the author
Craig Thorpe
Craig is a Campaigner at Viva!. He coordinates public campaigns that expose the cruelty of factory farming and inspire people to take meaningful action.