Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of birds slaughtered without stunning under a shackle line system are required to be individually assessed for signs of consciousness by a food business operator before birds progress to the next stage of production.

All birds slaughtered without stunning should be assessed to ensure they do not present any sign of life before undergoing dressing or scalding. Further dressing or scalding shall only be performed once the absence of signs of life of the animal has been verified.

The European Food Standards Authority have produced guidance on monitoring procedures at slaughterhouses for poultry that recommends that all birds slaughtered without stunning should be assessed for unconsciousness and death by checking appropriate indicators.