[Margaret Pilkington]

The pigs are anaesthetised(they feel nothing) and the reason live pigs are used it to assess the success of the field surgeons. If you are doing this work on dead pigs you will never know if they would survive the surgery - or what complications might ensue as a result of surgery. The pigs are even given analgesia as they recover - again to see how this works for them.......this is important research.
It is done as humanely as possible.

This is another one of those sensationalist news paper stories....when I read these I alway wonder what opther news is being 'buried' - yes, I know I am a cynical baggage
Much more humane than a halal killing....and I am pretty sure that somewhere along the way you will have consumed halal meat - that is unless of course you only eat pork and bacon.