And lastly, on a more sombre note, a while ago I vented on the subject of the use of CO₂ in abattoirs to ‘dispatch’ pigs. A year later, I would still say that the video was one of the most unpleasant things I’ve ever seen. The government had started a consultation with a view to switching to argon, which, apparently, is far more humane. Earlier in the week, I switched on the radio to catch the tail end of ‘Farming Today’ and, lo and behold, a gentleman from AIMS (the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers) had written to the Secretary of State claiming that it would put the UK pig industry at a disadvantage because CO₂ is used in the vast majority of European abattoirs and there are no plans to phase it out. The price implications seem tiny – amounting to approximately 1–2 pence per kilogram on the wholesale price. I was horrified at the time, and still am, that the industry (including farmers) seems to think something so egregiously inhumane could be justified for a couple of pence on the price of a pork chop. Are there no lines that shouldn’t be crossed for the sake of a few pence? They certainly wouldn’t treat their pets like that.
It goes without saying that we’ve never used an abattoir that uses carbon dioxide, and never will.