“Multi-bird waterbath stunning (WBS) is the main commercially used stunning method in poultry” from a study based in France and Spain.

Even though the Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Welfare, in its opinion on request from the European Commission, stated this in 2004, “Since welfare is poor when the shackling line and water bath electrical stunning method is used, and birds are occasionally not stunned before slaughter, the method should be replaced as soon as possible.” (p. 16), yet here we are 20 years later.

They uncovered that stunning might not be effective, which leads to the birds avoiding the blade in the bleeding process just before the industrial standard scalding procedure.

Therefore, many birds will be scalded alive, which can be seen from hidden camera footage in Australia, with the same stunning and scalding equipment they use in Europe.