View source for Embed:Humane label North American Meat Guidelines

Some certifications rely on the North American Meat Institute slaughter guidelines for standards relating to slaughter. These allow pigs to be slaughtered in carbon dioxide gas chambers or conventional slaughterhouses. When gas chambers are used, it is considered acceptable for pigs to gasp for breath or exhibit “strange vocalization and sudden, involuntary reflexes including muscle jerks or twitches.”<ref name="nami">Grandin, Temple. “Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines.” North American Meat Association, September 2019. https://www.animalhandling.org/sites/default/files/forms/Animal_Handling_Guide091719.pdf.</ref> Evidence shows that in conventional slaughterhouses, pigs are often improperly stunned.<ref name="ahfpe">“Animal Welfare Standards for Swine.” American Humane Farm Program, April 2017.</ref>