SWITZERLAND, Bern. From January, new regulations will apply to transport and slaughter. There are more precise requirements for the stunning of animals.
In order to further reduce the stress and suffering of animals in and outside slaughterhouses, the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) has now revised the Ordinance on Animal Welfare at Slaughter (VTSchS) in Switzerland. In the course of the revision, according to the FSVO, among other things the stunning methods have been adapted to new scientific findings. In addition, for the first time, guidelines apply to the gas stunning of chickens and turkeys. Among other things, the changes took into account the findings of the 2018 and 2019 analysis "Animal Welfare and Meat Control in Slaughterhouses" conducted by the Federal Food Chain Unit (BLK). According to the BLV, gas stunning of chickens and turkeys, which is mainly used in large-scale operations, is currently carried out exclusively with CO2.