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What are the benefits of controlled atmosphere stunning?
235 Plays6 days ago
Dr. Natalya Bauer, director of Anglia Autoflow, joins the podcast to detail the benefits, from worker and bird welfare through to improved meat quality, that poultry processors can achieve with controlled atmosphere stunning.
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Transcript
Introduction to Future of Poultry Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Future of Poultry podcast series.
Focus on CAS Technology in Poultry Processing
00:00:12
Speaker
I'm Mark Clements, Editor-in-Chief Poultry with WATT Global Media. And today on the Future of Poultry podcast, we're looking at Controlled Atmosphere Stunning, or CAS. CAS has been around since the mid-1990s, but its adoption has been varied.
00:00:27
Speaker
In Europe, for example, approximately half of birds stunned are now stunned using cass. And in some cases, for example in the UK, this figure rises to over
Expert Insight: Dr. Natalya Bauer on CAS
00:00:38
Speaker
70%. In the US, s adoption of the technology has been slower, with under 10% of birds slaughtered being stunned by a gas. So why has CAS done and gained popularity in some areas and in others been slower to take off? And what are the benefits that it brings to producers? To answer these questions, I'm delighted to welcome Dr. Natalya Bauer, director with Anglo Auto Flow, to the podcast to discuss these topics and to look at the various options that are available to processors. Natalya, welcome to the podcast. Hello, Mark. Natalya, we're here to talk about CAS and you have a long history with the technology.
00:01:14
Speaker
That's right, I'm not a clear idea and has been involved with gas-turning or serious developments seeing that since our first system was installed in England back to 1990.
00:01:27
Speaker
As a veterinarian with 30 years of practical experience, I'm proud to be a part of this project and see the industry results. we can the We call the technology, it's gas-stunning, but actually this is a gas anesthesia.
00:01:44
Speaker
Also, as an economist-graduated specialist, I see that with this new gas-stunning technology to follow welfare rules is very profitable.
CAS Technology Development and Benefits
00:01:54
Speaker
And your long involvement with the technology has seen you recently appointed director of Anglia Autoflower, which is also well-established in the CAS sector.
00:02:05
Speaker
I've been with Anglo-AutoFlow for 20 years old already and was appointed as as a director in the beginning of 2026. So tell us about CAS.
CAS Methods and Legislative Impact
00:02:15
Speaker
There are various ways of achieving it, are there not?
00:02:18
Speaker
by Our early annual autoflow systems were designed to conform to the legislation that existed in the old time. This allowed anoxia stunning using a combination of argon and carbon dioxide to reduce the oxidant level in the stunning enclosure to less than 2%.
00:02:39
Speaker
Customers were very pleased with the results but found the cost of argon to be quite high. The research was carried out with under-outflow involvement and it was found that nitrogen could be used as a substitute for argon.
00:02:58
Speaker
It was relatively easy to convert our installed system to run on nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The next development came when legislation allowed the issue of carbon dioxide in stages.
00:03:13
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There was then no longer requirement to reduce the oxygen level below 2%.
Improving Bird Welfare with CAS
00:03:19
Speaker
The stages process was based on first rendering the birds unconscious using the low levels of CO2, then exposing them to a high level of CO2.
00:03:31
Speaker
The first systems were two stages, but after working with la li leading animal welfare of people and their own organizations, more stages were added to the process.
00:03:43
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Systems and water flow supplies met nowadays have five stages, which provides stress-free transition from consciousness to unconsciousness. This process is optimal for the welfare and product quality.
00:03:58
Speaker
And not all systems are the same and and it can be used for more than simply stunning. On the Autoflow, CIS has always been based on stunning in individual drivers using a first-in, first-out principle to ensure all birds exposed to the correct level of gas for the correct amount of time.
00:04:23
Speaker
You could say something like this principle was developed after Angliotoflo worked with the scientific researchers in the UK and determined the optimal time between stunning and bleeding.
00:04:37
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Test carried out with batch stunning birds show this method to have problems due to the large difference in time between stunning and bleeding from the first bird's process to the last.
00:04:50
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The process also provides the same transit time for each bird from point of stun to point of hanging into the shackles and the line. This results in consistent bleeding and plucking.
Environmental and Quality Advantages of CAS
00:05:03
Speaker
the gas system placed right before the hang-on conveyor and the CO2 consumption just 6 to 8 grams per each life kilo body weight for broilers and just 3 to 5 grams for turkey.
00:05:16
Speaker
The gas tunnel works constantly. With our CIS system, CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere when it is carried out in the bird's feathers and also CO2 emissions are a lot less than other CO2-based systems. Especially this is important with the new pectin law about carbon emission reduction.
00:05:42
Speaker
This is just a matter of time when new inspections we will knock to the poultry meat producers' doors. So tell me, what are the advantages of CAS in terms of bird welfare?
00:05:56
Speaker
the most significant birds welfarefire advantages of amote oflo are the as was terfreta through the multi-stage process with precise control of gas level en times deb bura thoroughly stand in ensuring they do not regain consciousness be before shatling and throat cutting.
00:06:17
Speaker
Elimination of all problems associated with electrical stunning. The weight of slaughtering brawlers, males and females are different, and the difference could be in average 350 grams, depending on the target weight and age.
00:06:34
Speaker
Electric stunning specialists know it is difficult or impossible to achieve optimal stunning result for all birds each weight where there a wide range of life weights.
00:06:48
Speaker
Electric sunning can cause problems with in inconsistent meat quality, bird stress and welfare. Out of all the outer floors, CAS provides excellent consistent meat quality, eliminates the stress of hanging live birds, electrical shock, so no stress hormones in the blood. And welfare is an ever-growing requirement for processes around the world. our Consumers' expectations around the world continue to rise.
00:07:18
Speaker
People instantly want to know or want to know what animals do that animals do not suffer during slaughter. Many animal welfare organizations are actively influencing policy. and participating in the development of new liage legislation and industry standards.
00:07:37
Speaker
Today, humane standing before slaughter is not just a regulatory requirement. It is also demanded by global food chains such as McDonald's, KFC and Burger King, as well as other madmen major retailers which require their suppliers to follow strict animal welfare standards.
00:07:58
Speaker
This is one of the reasons why gas-turning technologies have become widely accepted by the market.
Workforce and Operational Improvements with CAS
00:08:05
Speaker
And I imagine they must have an impact on meat quality.
00:08:09
Speaker
ah Yes, this innovation has proven incredibly profitable for meat producers producers themselves. Not all CAS designs provide the same benefits as underproduces a very high meat quality and the precise control of the process in ensure this quality level remains the same for all birds. Filets are consistent color and without blood spotting.
00:08:37
Speaker
Thighs meat does not have blood vessels. Gmaragins, a common problem with some of other stany matters, wings and other joints do not have retained. Sorrow bleeding increases fresh meat's shelf life.
00:08:53
Speaker
You may see photos on my webpage in LinkedIn showing comparison of meat quality after alga stunning and electrosturning. The payback calculation is very seaic simple and usually around one year or less, depending on what initial technology were used.
00:09:12
Speaker
And you talked to us about improvements in in bird welfare, but I'm guessing that worker conditions must improve if these systems are used in the plurus. More wing, flapping, less dust, hanging can be in bright light, much easier and more pleasant working condition. have resulted in seeing more women hanging birds where there only were men doing this work in the past and less people are required. This makes the hanging operator's job look more attractive to a wide range of people.
00:09:48
Speaker
Now, one of the clients that you've worked with is Dean's Foods, which processes spent hands, part of Noble Foods now. What would have been the improvements that you've seen there?
00:10:00
Speaker
Deans, now Nobel Foods, saw transformation of their receiving area operation after CIS was installed. No hands jumped out of their transport containers anymore.
00:10:11
Speaker
Operators were not fighting with birds to hang them into the shackles. the whole process becomes much more relaxed for the birds and for people.
00:10:23
Speaker
Consistency of the bleeding and plaque improved and yield increases by around 1.5%.
Investment and Adoption Challenges of CAS
00:10:32
Speaker
A meat is easy to debon from the carcass and no or less streams is required. So this is all very positive but there has been some pushback with CAS systems. Yes, you are right.
00:10:47
Speaker
Look, the investments in CIS are significant and producers want to see ongoing success from one. This has not always been the case with all CIS installations.
00:11:00
Speaker
We are proud at Andriotoflo not to have received negative feedback off on any of our installations, only positive comments. Why do you think that some regions have been quicker to adopt others?
00:11:15
Speaker
Regions where consumers have greater expectations for meat quality and care about animal welfare have been there to adopt CAS. Other regions have adopted it because they supply their products into markets with demand high quality and welfare standards.
CAS Certification and Consumer Expectations
00:11:34
Speaker
You mentioned that CAS can be used to kill birds as well as stun them. Does that impact bleed? Now, the bleed is not in impacted because the constancy.
00:11:45
Speaker
If timing means birds arrive at a killer plate with a heartbeat, this is the same whether they are stunned to kill or recoverably stunned. The heartbeat is less in birds that have been stunned to kill, but as it carries on four round for around 4 minutes,
00:12:04
Speaker
There is time for the heart to pump most of blood out and the rest is drainage out as there is less stress in the carcass compared to electrical slime.
00:12:15
Speaker
Blood vessels are not constricted and blood flow flows through them more easily. And are carcass systems suitable for all markets? Are they for example acceptable in halal markets?
00:12:29
Speaker
I would pay attention that AngiAutoFlow CIS has halal certification in many markets around the world, including North America. For us, it is achievable because With our CRS technology, the time between birds stunned and killed is minimal.
00:12:48
Speaker
Our system can be adjusted to produce unconsciousness. but is this If these are not through-cut within two minutes, they will gain consciousness.
00:13:01
Speaker
How deep to make the birds unconsciousness is a decision. for the customer and their local veterinary requirements. with With some other CAS technologies available on the market, the time between birds stunned and killed could take up to 15 minutes, which is dramatically red reducing meat quality and of course cannot be HALAL certified.
Conclusion and Future Engagement
00:13:27
Speaker
Natalia, would you have, before we close, would you have any final thoughts for processors that are considering CAS, but that are not yet quite convinced? All processors are welcome to contact us as the originator of this technology.
00:13:43
Speaker
there are There can be considerable confusion for customers about CRS due to mismi misinformation in the marketplace. Not all CRS systems are the same, and i am inviting customers, technician specialists, to visit us in England to see our equipment operating.
00:14:04
Speaker
Thank you so much for joining us today, Natalya. I hope that you'll come back to the podcast again soon. Mark, thank you so much for inviting me and for the opportunity to share his guest's stunning technology, how these innovations came to the market, which is soon to become an industry standard in the Western world.
00:14:23
Speaker
Listeners, thank you for joining us today. And don't forget to look out for future editions of the Future of Poultry podcast. Until next time, goodbye.