Under pressure from international animal-rights advocates and food-safety organizations, China has announced it’s drafting rules for the “humane” treatment and slaughter of livestock. The proposal recommends stunning animals before slaughter, ensuring as little time as possible passes between stunning and killing, making sure unloading platforms are at heights where pigs won’t injure themselves when offloading, and using plastic prods to herd pigs instead of electric ones. While animal-rights activists expressed hope at the moves, human-rights activists hoped humane treatment of human prisoners will be next, especially the recommendations against electrocution.
