KFC continues to support and fund research into electrical stunning, CAS and other alternative methods of poultry stunning or slaughter. We have partnered with the leading animal welfare experts and academic institutions to continue to test technologies that have some potential to be more humane than current technology. We also continue to lead efforts to improve existing technology to make it even more humane.

In late 2008, Mississippi State University graduate student Nicholas Sallas was named the first recipient of the J. Paul Thaxton Graduate Assistantship for the study of Animal Welfare. The assistantship is funded by KFC Corporation and the Yum! Brands Foundation. Sallas will continue his animal welfare research at Mississippi State University’s Poultry Science Department.

» Read more about the graduate assistantship

At the present time, there are no major chicken processing plants in the country using Controlled Atmosphere Stunning technology, and there is much debate about whether CAS is in fact more humane than existing electrical stunning.

The American Association of Avian Pathologists and the American College of Poultry Veterinarians published a position statement on poultry stunning in June, 2008. Their position is that “physiologic evaluation has failed to demonstrate any welfare advantage of any CAS system over other accepted poultry stunning methods in the United States.”

In addition, they concluded that “the alternative CAS systems, while viable, do not offer any known animal welfare advantages and may in fact be associated with poultry excitation and injury prior to loss of consciousness.”

» Read the complete position statement from AAAP/ACPV (PDF/15K)
» Read the National Chicken Council's position on Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (PDF/119K)

In addition, Dr. Stanley Curtis (University of Illinois), Dr. Temple Grandin (Colorado State University) and Dr. John McGlone (Texas Tech University) wrote a “Viewpoint” article for the July 23, 2007 issue of the industry publication “Feedstuffs,” which read in part: "We are not aware that the distress chickens and turkeys experience when being handled and hung prior to electric stun has been scientifically compared with the distress of gas anesthesia induction... Current methods of CAS can solve some handling issues if properly implemented, but they may create new welfare issues… To call for changing animal production and processing systems on the basis of erroneous premises ultimately will be of no use to any human or any animal."

Following two years of testing, Tyson in 2006 released their findings that CAS was not more humane than current stunning methods: "At the request of customers and as part of the company’s commitment to animal welfare, Tyson has spent the past two years examining and testing the use of Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (CAS). This production method involves the use of a gas mixture to render chickens unconscious before slaughter.”

"'While our research has concluded controlled atmosphere stunning may be an acceptable alternative, we have not currently found it to be more humane than conventional electrical stunning,' said Bill Lovette, senior group vice president of Poultry and Prepared Foods for Tyson Foods. 'We’re going to continue to use the conventional method of stunning in our poultry plants because we believe it's humane and effective. However, we also believe there’s merit in the continued study of CAS and other technology. We’re going to ask the agricultural science officials at the University of Arkansas to initiate their own CAS study, using their own scientists and methods, to see if they reach the same conclusion.'"

In April, 2008, an article in the industry publication “Feedstuffs” reinforced the prevailing opinion of experts that research on CAS is incomplete.

Dr. Yvonne Vissier Thaxton, professor of poultry science at Mississippi State University, said, “The main animal welfare issue with poultry slaughter is the ability to induce instantaneous insensibility. The requirement is that all animals be insentient when slaughtered. Both electrical stunning and (CAS) fulfill this requirement when properly administered. We are continually examining potential technologies that may be equal to, or improve upon, those in current use."

Tim Amlaw, program manager of American Humane Certified, said, “Based on our scientific experts and existing evidence, we are not aware of any science-based conclusive evidence that the distress of chickens, turkeys or other species experience in existing electric stunning methods is greater or less than that with gas anesthesia induction. Any claim that CAS is more humane is simply not founded on current science and should not be forced on the industry at this time.”

Animal welfare experts and industry experts agree that there is much research yet to be done before CAS is proven to be a more humane method of stunning poultry. Like others in the industry, KFC is committed to continuing to support research into stun technologies and other animal welfare issues.

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