Tailing—removing a live lobster’s tail before cooking—has long been a common practice among restaurant chefs and home cooks alike. Many believe it kills the lobster quickly and humanely. But lobster tailing has also sparked intense debate in recent years regarding whether it truly minimizes suffering.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at lobster tailing, examining the evidence around whether it kills lobsters and if it causes pain. We’ll review arguments on both sides of the issue, including perspectives from chefs, animal welfare advocates, and scientists. You’ll learn best practices for humanely handling live lobsters in your home kitchen.
What Is Lobster Tailing?
Lobster tailing refers to removing the tail from a live lobster before cooking the rest of it. Using a sharp chef’s knife, the cook makes one swift cut through the membrane connecting the tail to the body. The lobster’s legs will continue moving after tailing, though more slowly due to loss of blood. Typically the lobster is dispatched and fully cooked shortly afterward.
The removed tail may be prepared separately by grilling broiling steaming, or sautéing. Many chefs favor it for presentation purposes. Removing the bulky claws and body makes for a more elegant lobster tail dish. The tail can be elegantly plated on its own, often drizzled with butter or lemon sauce.
Tailing gained popularity in upscale restaurants as a way to highlight the prized lobster tail. Home cooks soon adopted the practice as an allegedly speedy, humane slaughter method before boiling or cooking the lobster intact. Some also simply wish to save the tail for cooking last to optimize texture and presentation.
But controversy has swirled in recent decades around whether tailing actually minimizes suffering. Before examining the evidence, it’s helpful to understand the lobster’s anatomy.
Lobster Nervous System and Ability to Feel Pain
Lobsters have a relatively primitive nervous system and lack key anatomical structures associated with pain sensation:
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No cortex – The cerebral cortex processes sensory information and thought in mammals. Lobsters lack an analogous brain structure.
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Decentralized nervous system – Unlike mammals’ central nervous system, lobsters’ nerves are spread through their body in ganglia.
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No vocal cords – Lobsters are physically unable to produce audible reactions to potential pain stimuli.
These facts lead many to conclude lobsters cannot consciously register pain. However, recent research has challenged this perspective.
Studies have found lobsters exhibit complex behaviors and neurological reactions to adverse stimuli. When exposed to noxious substances, lobsters show avoidance learning and stress responses. Their primitive nervous system likely allows some moderate degree of sentience.
Overall, the science remains inconclusive on whether lobsters definitively feel pain as humans understand it. But researchers advise giving them the benefit of the doubt and avoiding unnecessary suffering.
Does Tailing Actually Kill Lobsters Quickly?
Given their basic nervous system, tailing seems like it should swiftly immobilize or kill lobsters. After all, it severs a major part of their anatomy. However, some argue tailing alone doesn’t necessarily cause a quick or humane death. Here are the primary counterarguments:
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Blood loss may be gradual – While tailing causes hemorrhaging, some claim the blood loss occurs slowly, prolonging life.
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Nervous system remains active – Lobsters’ decentralized nervous systems continue operating even after tail detachment. Their legs remain mobile and reflexes intact.
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Still responsive to stimuli – Studies found tailless lobsters react to sensations like touch, indicating persisting consciousness.
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Slower death without brain destruction – Since lobsters lack distinct brains, targeted destruction of nerve centers is challenging. Tailing alone may not kill swiftly.
Based on these factors, some contend that tailing alone does not guarantee a fast, painless death. However, chefs argue proper technique can make it an effective slaughter method.
Chef Perspectives: Can Tailing Be Humane?
Many professional chefs insist tailing can minimize suffering when done properly as part of the slaughter process. Here are their key arguments:
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Speed is essential – Removing the tail in one swift cut causes trauma that can lead to fast blood loss if rapidly followed by cooking.
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Must be paired with further dispatch – Chefs emphasize that tailing should be combined with immediate post-tailing dispatch like knife through the head.
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Prevents unnecessary trauma – Removing the bulky tail before boiling avoids the lobster thrashing in the pot, which chefs view as inhumane.
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Consistent with animal slaughter norms – Lobsters are invertebrates, but chefs note mammals also remain responsive after major blood loss. Swift tail removal is considered a comparable dispatch method.
Overall, many chefs believe that done quickly and paired with further slaughter techniques, tailing can be the most humane approach for large lobsters. However, there is still extensive disagreement.
Arguments That Tailing Is Inhumane
Animal welfare advocates typically consider tailing an inherently inhumane practice, while also allowing it may be the “least worst” option in restaurants. Their main arguments are:
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It’s mutilation – Removing a healthy body part from a live animal is viewed as an ethically problematic form of mutilation.
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Risk of suffering – Given uncertainties around lobster sentience, the potential for prolonged pain should be avoided.
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Prolonged time to death – After tailing, lobsters can remain alive and responsive for an extended period, unlike mammals with major blood loss.
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Inconsistency with social norms – Severing parts from live dogs or cows before slaughter would be seen as unethical and illegal in Western society.
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Not designed to minimize suffering – Historically, tailing gained popularity for culinary purposes like plating elegance – not to reduce suffering per se.
Advocates believe the burden of proof should be to demonstrate tailing conclusively minimizes suffering, which they argue has not yet been scientifically established.
What Does the Research Say on Tailing and Pain?
Given the ethical concerns, animal welfare scientists have directly studied tailing to determine its impact on lobsters’ potential capacity for pain. Key research findings include:
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Lobsters show stress-like neurological responses to tail removal, including discharge of catecholamines and increased heart rate.
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Tailless lobsters still react to adverse sensory inputs like heat or chemical stimuli. This may indicate persisting sentience.
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Serotonin levels linked to pain response decrease more gradually after tailing compared to crusher claw removal.
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However, tail-removal does significantly lower lobster serotonin levels, which likely impairs pain sensation over time.
Overall, researchers caution against definitively claiming tailing prevents suffering. But evidence suggests it may gradually impair the lobster’s ability to process pain prior to death. The science continues to evolve.
Considering Lobster Sentience
Both sides of the tailing debate urge considering emerging evidence of lobster sentience when weighing options:
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Lobsters exhibit preferences and avoid unpleasant stimuli, suggesting a degree of awareness.
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They have opioid receptors and show analgesia when given morphine, hinting at pain capability.
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Complex behaviors like cooperation, learning, and play have been observed.
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While not definitive proof of pain, these indicators imply playing it safe by minimizing harm may be prudent.
As scientific understanding of lobster sentience grows, we must revisit our ethical obligations toward these remarkable creatures. This includes evaluating traditional cooking practices under a new lens.
Best Practices for Humane Lobster Handling
Given the complex ethical issues surrounding lobster slaughter, what practices should home cooks follow? Here are some recommendations:
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Keep live lobsters comfortably – Store in a breathable, cool, damp place like a moist towel lined cooler. Avoid direct water contact which can drown them.
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Chill lobsters before cooking – Place them in the freezer for 30-60 minutes to anesthetize before dispatch. Do not freeze for extended periods.
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Use multiple dispatch methods – Pair tailing with immediate destruction of nerve centers by splitting underbelly or inserting knife through head.
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Cook live lobsters rapidly – After anesthetizing and dispatch, plunge directly into vigorously boiling water or steamer. Avoid regaining consciousness.
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Consider pre-killed lobster – Increasingly available at some retailers and online, pre-slaughtered fresh lobster guarantees no suffering.
While issues around lobster sentience remain unresolved, adopting clear best practices can help home cooks avoid potential suffering. Used thoughtfully and humanely, tailing can be part of an ethical lobster cooking process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to tail a live lobster?
Lobster tailing is legal throughout North America and most regions. However, some places like Reggio Emilia, Italy have banned tailing of live lobster.
Do chefs still remove
Killing Before Cooking
There are a few ways to kill a lobster. If you do it before cooking, you can boil, bake, steam, or cook it some other way.
- The lobster needs to be frozen for 30 to 60 minutes before it can be put headfirst into a pot of boiling water.
- You can do it faster by cutting straight down into the carapace, which is part of the lobster’s exoskeleton on its back. Put the tip of a very sharp chef’s knife behind the lobster’s eyes, just below where the claws meet the body, and about halfway to the first joint. Swiftly plunge the knife down through the head. After that, the legs will keep moving a little, but the lobster is dead.
- Many chefs like to do both: put the lobster in the freezer for 30 minutes, then cut it open with a knife. Some chefs like 15 minutes, which is long enough to calm the lobster down without freezing the meat.
- Instead of freezing the lobster, you can make it less sensitive by putting it in a big pot in the sink. Start by filling it with cold water from the tap, and slowly raise the temperature of the water until it is very hot. You can then use the knife to dispatch the lobster.
Boil Frozen Lobster
If you dont want to go through those steps and plan to boil the lobster, theres another option. Freeze the lobster for 30 to 60 minutes, then put it in the pot of boiling water head-first. The lobster will die almost instantly in boiling water, but not in the freezer. The cold will stop it from moving, so it won’t thrash around.