Alternative Chicken Slaughtering

Tyson Foods is one of ConAgras biggest suppliers, and now ConAgra is urging them to look into a gas slaughtering process, known as Controlled Atmosphere Killing. The popular food company ConAgra recently issued a statement to it suppliers. Asking them to explore CAK "As a method for processing live poultry since some studies indicate that it might be a more humane method of slaughter and could improve food quality." University of Professor and expert in poultry Dr. Casey Owens explained CAK. "Carbon Dioxide increases in concentration over a period of 2 or 3 minutes, this renders the bird unconcious." The gas method takes longer and is more expensive than the common practice of stunning. When chicken are stunned it`s usually with a low voltage. Once the bird is immobilized, their throats are cut. Both gas and stunning methods are considered humane. Owens said neither one proves better than the other for consumption purposes. ConAgra isn`t demanding suppliers change to the gas method, just asking suppliers to look into alternatives if it suits the company. We contacted Tyson and they issued this statement. "We believe controlled atmosphere killing and other emerging technologies are worthy of continued study and review, however, to date the research is incomplete and inconclusive whether they are more humane than conventional methods or what the effects might be on food safety and product quality.