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What “stunning” is and why it is unacceptable

The difference between the methods called for by law and shechita lies in the use of pre-stunning methods before the animal is slaughtered. Theoretically, there are four methods: captive-bolt shot into the brain, electric-shock, anesthesia with drugs, and gassing with Argon or carbon dioxide.

Calling the first method stunning is a euphemism: the animal is simply slaughtered by shooting it in the forehead with a special gun. Halakha (Jewish law) forbids the use of the captive-bolt shot before shechita because when the animal is shot, part of its brain is destroyed, and the animal thus becomes taref. That means that it does not correspond to the minimum criteria of anatomical integrity required for an animal before slaughtering (generically speaking, the defects of an animal that would cause death in a short amount of time make it taref). Objections to this method (by far the most common) are that aim is often inaccurate, that in any case unconsciousness in the animal is only temporary and could end before the animal is actually killed, that a captive-both shot creates a surge of adrenaline with resulting vasoconstriction and reduction of bleeding after the blood vessels are cut (thus damaging the flesh). In addition, in the era of mad cow disease, there is the risk that the shooting may spread the infecting agent, usually colonized in the brain, throughout the body.

Neither is electric shock an ideal practice. Halakha does not accept it because it can cause damage to the animal’s integrity and render it taref. But aside from that, the fact that it actually causes unconsciousness is questionable. First, because electric shock is in itself cruel, as psychiatric experience with man has shown for decades. Second, the equipment often malfunctions and there are too many variables to guarantee success. Finally, there is no proof that the animal really does lose consciousness or does not resuscitate before finally being slaughtered.

Anesthesia with drugs is not commonly practiced because there is the risk of selling meat containing residues of drugs.

Gassing consists in placing the animal in a closed chamber where it breathes a gas that is supposed to make it lose consciousness. The result (unconsciousness) is not certain however and could be very short-lived. In addition, the animal could die from the gas. If it could guarantee unconsciousness on one hand and physical integrity on the other, halakha might be more amenable to this method, but we are still far from any statistically reliable proof.

What are the real advantages of shechita and how to meet detractors’ objections

Briefly, shechita is not a “savage” practice. It requires years of experience, study, and exercise. Its practice is entrusted only to professionals who are subjected to examination once a year.

An essential part of the technique is how the knife is sharpened: there must not be the slightest perceptible nick on the fingertip and nail, in correspondence to the threshold of pain in the tissues and trachea cut during shechita.

The method of cutting, on a tangent, without pressure and without stopping, means that there is an absence of pain.

The cut with the abundant bleeding causes a sudden drop in the liquid circulating in the veins and arteries, a drop in blood pressure and the brain function.

There is a great deal of discussion as to whether sensation remains after the cut but there are only indirect and imprecise methods for ascertaining this.

There is a great deal of talk about electroencephalograms that demonstrate prolonged brain activity even after the cut. However electric activity does not mean perception of pain or the existence of life. An anesthetized patient undergoing surgery continues to have electric activity in his brain but feels no pain.

Another debate concerns the possibility that the brain continues to receive blood after the cut. This is because shechita cuts the carotid artery but does not affect the other two arteries that take blood to the brain: the vertebral arteries. Human beings also have carotid and vertebral arteries, that communicate at the base of the brain (forming a structure known as the Willis’ polygon). This ensures that blood always reaches the brain even if one vessel is interrupted. The comparison with human anatomy is only partial however because human anatomy is different than cow, sheep and goat (the three main groups that undergo shechita) anatomy. Instead of the Willis’ polygon, there is an analogous structure, the rete mirabile. Carotid and vertebral arteries carry blood to the brain and make up the rete mirabile, but they meet before the brain (Fig 1 A). So, if the carotid artery is tied, preventing blood from reaching the brain, the vertebral artery takes over. As animal welfare groups claim: even if the carotid artery is cut, blood reaches the brain through the vertebral artery (Fig 1 B). But that is the mistake, because tying the artery is one thing, and cutting it is another. If the carotid artery is cut, all the blood that would reach the brain through it is lost. Nor does the blood in the vertebral artery reach the brain, because after it flows into the carotid below the cut, pressure forces it upwards and it too flows out of the cut (Fig. 1 C). This has been proved experimentally.

In conclusion, laborious discussion and difficult experimental studies can demonstrate that, for the moment, there is no certain proof that shechita causes more suffering in animals. There are some who use this argument to boast of the scientific superiority of our tradition. It might however be better to avoid this type of argument and leave our certainty at the level of faith. But our consciences can be assuaged that we possess a respectful and advanced method of slaughter, even if it is over three thousand year old. And we should mistrust the passions and extremist positions against Jewish ritual slaughter and everything behind them. In the over two thousand years of Jewish presence in Italy, the method was only forbidden during the period of the Racial Laws. As Rav Kook teaches, excessive respect for animals should be scrutinized with a wary eye because it might reveal less respect for human beings.

Further Reading

I. M. Levinger, Shechita in the Light of the Year 2000. Maskil L’David: Jerusalem 1995.
R. Di Segni, Guida alle regole alimentari ebraiche. Lamed: Rome 1996. See Chapter on Shechita.