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Non-food grade carbon dioxide may be used by processors to stun animals before slaughter during the carbon dioxide shortage, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has confirmed.
Carbon dioxide is vital for the food industry as an aid to adding bubbles to beer and to extend the shelf-life of certain products.
It’s also used extensively in the pig and poultry industry to stun animals before slaughter.
The FSAI has deemed that during this current European shortage ‘non-food grade’ carbon dioxide which is not used directly in food can be used by processors to maintain slaughter house production.
Low risk to consumers
“The temporary use of certain ‘non-food grade’ carbon dioxide for the stunning of poultry and pigs prior to slaughter and for use in modified atmosphere packaging of food represents a low risk to consumers,” the FSAI has stated.
“Nevertheless, food business operators (FBOs) should, in the first instance, seek to use ‘food grade’ carbon dioxide where available for these purposes. However, in the absence of stocks of ‘food grade’ carbon dioxide, FBO’s may substitute use of carbon dioxide with no less than 99% purity.”
Carbon dioxide is a by-product of fertiliser production and it’s believed that the European shortage has been caused by the closure of a number of large fertiliser plants for maintenance and repair during the summer period.
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