Chicken, turkey and hen raw materials shall come from animals that have been fully stunned when bled and remain completely unconscious until death. Electrical stunning and stunning with carbon dioxide or inert gases (nitrogen and/or argon) are permitted stunning methods for the slaughter of poultry.
Electrical stunning
For individual electrical stunning of poultry, where the electrodes are placed on both sides of the head, the current shall be at least 0.5 Ampere for poultry with a body weight of more than 2.5 kg and at least 0.3 amps for other poultry. The current shall be maintained until the animal is stunned.
For electrical stunning with the head passing through a water bath, the current for each animal shall be at least 0.12 amps for chickens and laying hens, using 50–200 Hz alternating current. For turkeys, the current for each animal shall be at least 0.25 amps at frequencies below 200 Hz; the current shall be at least 0.40 Ampere at frequencies between 200 and 1500 Hz. The current shall be maintained until the animal is stunned.
Carbon dioxide stunning
In the case of carbon dioxide stunning, the carbon dioxide concentration shall be recorded at a level that makes it possible to check that the concentration and period used are sufficient to render the animals completely unconscious. Stunning shall be carried out in at least two phases. The carbon dioxide concentration shall not exceed 40 per cent at the onset of exposure, followed by a higher concentration when the animals have lost consciousness.
