More than 30 vets in France call for a ban on CO₂ stunning of pigs as L214 releases video from one of the country's largest abattoirs

What happened

On 29 October 2026 the French animal welfare organisation L214 released a new video from an abattoir owned by the company Cooperl in Montfort-sur-Meu (Ille-et-Vilaine department, Brittany). According to L214, it's one of the largest abattoirs in France, killing more than 800 pigs an hour and more than 1.3 million a year. The pigs are stunned with carbon dioxide before slaughter.

The same day more than thirty vets published an appeal to the state calling for a complete ban on stunning animals with carbon dioxide. L214 joined the call and is starting legal action against the state. The animal protection foundation 30 Millions d'Amis also backed the appeal.

What L214 is

L214 is a French animal welfare organisation founded in 2008. Its name refers to article L214 of the French Rural Code, which recognises animals as sentient beings. The organisation is known for its video investigations on farms and in abattoirs: its footage has repeatedly led to inspections, temporary abattoir closures and court cases. Producers and some farming organisations, in turn, criticise L214 for its filming methods and radical demands. Each new video therefore sparks controversy in France, but the vets' appeal gives the current campaign added weight.

How gas stunning works

L214 describes the process like this: pigs are driven in groups of four to nine into a perforated metal cage. The cage descends to the bottom of a pit in two stages. On the first level the carbon dioxide concentration is 90%, on the second 93%. The whole process takes three minutes. The animals are then hung up, bled and cut up.

According to L214, the abattoir invested about €5 million in this system in 2024.

Why the method is criticised

Carbon dioxide at high concentrations irritates the mucous membranes of the snout, eyes and airways. Scientists have long described how pigs in this atmosphere feel a sensation of suffocation before losing consciousness. L214 says the animals suffer for between 21 and 60 seconds.

This is far from an instant, painless loss of consciousness: it's an agony lasting several tens of seconds for the pigs, before they're hung up, bled and cut up.

Sébastien Arsac, director of investigations at L214

In the video, as described by L214 and 30 Millions d'Amis, the pigs scream, try to break free and climb over each other.

What the vets are asking for

More than thirty vets signed the appeal to the French state. They ask it to ban CO₂ stunning of pigs in abattoirs, to set a deadline for ending the method now and to help the industry switch to methods that don't cause pain before loss of consciousness. "Recognising an animal's suffering and acting accordingly: that's the very definition of our profession," the appeal says.

What L214 is doing

L214 is taking the state to court to get the method banned. The organisation is also appealing to the Carrefour supermarket chain, which sells Cooperl pork under its own brands, asking it to refuse pork from pigs stunned with gas.

Why gas is so widely used

CO₂ stunning is used in many large European abattoirs. For a plant it's convenient: animals are stunned in groups without being individually restrained, and at high throughput this is faster and cheaper than other methods. Switching to alternatives therefore takes money, refitting and time.

What EU rules require

In the European Union, the protection of animals at slaughter is governed by Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009. It requires animals to be stunned before slaughter, meaning they're made unconscious, and to stay unconscious until death. The regulation lists the permitted stunning methods, including high-concentration carbon dioxide for pigs. So the method is currently legal in all EU countries, and the debate is about whether it's time to restrict it.

The regulation was adopted more than fifteen years ago, and the European Commission has considered revising it in light of new scientific evidence. Animal welfare campaigners want carbon dioxide for pigs to be phased out when the rules are updated.

What scientists say

Scientific opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on the welfare of pigs at slaughter describe high carbon dioxide concentrations as a source of pain, fear and severe respiratory distress before loss of consciousness. Scientists recommended developing and introducing alternatives that don't provoke these reactions. This is one reason why vets in France believe it's time to set a deadline for ending the method.

The role of vets in abattoirs

Large European abattoirs employ official vets. They check animals' health before slaughter and monitor compliance with welfare rules and meat quality. By law, abattoirs must have an animal welfare officer and standard stunning procedures. So the views of vets carry particular weight here: they see the process from the inside.

What alternatives exist

Alternatives have been discussed for a long time:

• electrical stunning is widely used, but it requires each animal to be restrained individually and careful adjustment;
• inert gases, such as nitrogen or argon, irritate the mucous membranes less;
• gas mixtures and nitrogen foam are being studied as a way to make stunning less painful.

Each of these technologies has its limitations, and none has yet become a universal replacement for large abattoirs.

How electrical stunning works

The most common alternative to gas is electrical stunning. A current is passed through the animal's head using special tongs, and the pig loses consciousness instantly. Done correctly, this is faster than gas, but the method has its difficulties: each animal must be restrained individually, the electrodes must be placed precisely, and on a line handling hundreds of pigs an hour it's hard for staff to do everything perfectly. If mistakes are made, the animal can regain consciousness. Switching to electricity therefore takes not only equipment but also staff training and strict monitoring.

Why this matters to farmers

For farmers, animal welfare at slaughter is part of the whole chain that customers see. If a slaughter method provokes public protest, it affects trust in pork in general. So some producers themselves want clear rules and transition deadlines rather than constant scandals. At the same time, refitting abattoirs is expensive, and farming organisations are likely to ask for support and a long transition period.

What's happening in other countries

France isn't the only country discussing an end to carbon dioxide. On 26 October 2026 the UK government opened a consultation on phasing out CO₂ stunning of pigs and moving to other methods. In its scientific opinions on animal welfare at slaughter, the European Food Safety Authority has described high carbon dioxide concentrations as a serious problem. The issue is therefore likely to be discussed at EU level too.

Why this doesn't only matter to campaigners

Animal welfare at slaughter also concerns vets working in abattoirs, farmers and shoppers. Vets in abattoirs are responsible for monitoring animal welfare, and their colleagues' appeal is an important signal. For shoppers it's a question of choice: more and more people want to know how the animals whose meat they buy lived and died.

What you can do as a shopper

If this matters to you:

1. Read the labels and the producer's information on animal welfare.
2. Ask the shop how the pork it sells under its own brand is produced.
3. Look for animal welfare schemes and certificates that describe slaughter conditions.
4. Follow the decisions of governments and the EU: they will set the rules for the whole industry.

What happens next

The vets' appeal and L214's legal action put a direct question to the French government: whether to set a deadline for ending the use of carbon dioxide. There's no answer yet, and the government is likely to hear from the industry, scientists and veterinary organisations first. The L214 case will also take time: such cases take months in France. The debate is continuing at European level too: the EU is discussing updating its rules on the protection of animals at slaughter, and the method of stunning pigs is one of the key issues.

What owners of pigs and micro pigs should know

If you keep pigs on a smallholding or as pets, remember that if an animal has to be put to sleep, a vet does it using methods that don't cause suffering. Talk to your vet about this in advance, especially if your pig is elderly or seriously ill. Your vet will explain how the procedure works and help make sure your pig doesn't feel fear or pain. And at any sign of illness, such as a high temperature, refusing food or lethargy, see a vet straight away.