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Increasingly, small pork processors are adopting a simple – and affordable – dual electrical stunning method that may be the most humane than ever before and is being promoted by some of the most well-known animal welfare experts, including Temple Grandin.

It is called the head-heart stun, and for most plants no additional equipment is needed. Though it has taken hold in many Midwestern plants, “It needs to become standard practice in small plants,” Grandin told Meatingplace. Contrary to concerns over increased blood spotting, Grandin assures small processors that it is effective because the second stun is not over the loin on the back but on side of the body just behind the elbow.

“For the majority of pigs it kills them … but I still recommend trying to bleed within … 60 seconds max,” she added. “You don’t have to do it in 15 seconds because in a small plant with a slow hoist that is just about impossible.”

For the full interview with Grandin, listen to the audio below.