EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY
Directorate F - Food and Veterinary Office
Director
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To ensure that waterbath stunning is carried out A lot of slaughterhouses report problems with
Priority: in accordance with the minimum currents laid
the application of the standards for water bath
down in table 2 in point 6(3) of Chapter II of
stunning according to Annex I of Regulation
Overall: Satisfactory
Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009.
1099/2009, either for reasons of meat quality
On 09.09.2015 the CA proposed a
Recommendation based on conclusion No 47.
or for religious reasons because of the
satisfactory response, but after October 2015
Associated findings No 35 and No 36.
possible irreversibility of the stun. Therefore, the CA should provide an action plan that
Legal basis for this recommendation: Point 6(3) at the moment, small derogations to the
ensures the enforcement of the minimum
of Chapter II of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No parameters are allowed as long as the
electrical parameters.
1099/2009.
slaughterhouse operators can guarantee that
The first proposed action was unsatisfactory
the animals are sufficiently stunned, pending
as the CCA did not plan to take any
the results of a research project that’s
enforcement measure to ensure that the
currently being carried out at the university of waterbath stunning of non-religious
Ghent on the stunning of poultry and the
slaughtered poultry is carried out in
application of the standards required by the
accordance with the minimum currents laid
Regulation 1099/2009. These results are
down in table 2 in point 6(3) of Chapter II of
expected by the end of 2017. When they are
Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009.
available the whole situation will be re-
This is a issue since EFSA reports that when
evaluated.
using waterbath stunning parameters below
The Brussels-Capital Region is not concerned those indicated in the Regulation, it is not
by this recommendation, because there are no possible to discern between stunned (and
poultry slaughterhouses.
unconscious birds) and electrically
immobilised birds.
Response from CA received on 09.09.2015:
It should furthermore be noted that the
The competent authority will enforce the
parameters for electrical currents laid down
waterbath stunning parameters as required by in Table 2 of Chapter II of Annex I to this
Regulation 1099/2009. A meeting on this
Regulation are considered to be the
subject with the poultry slaughterhouses is
minimum required to ensure the animals are
planned for October 2015.
sufficiently stunned.
This recommendation does not concern
poultry slaughtered under religious rites, for
Date: 24 September 2015
Page: 6