A study was conducted to determine the effects of a short period of additional stress applied just prior to stunning, on the subsequent meat quality of slaughtered pigs (113 boars, 85 gilts). Pigs were brought to the stunning pen as same-sex pairs. One pig was stunned immediately, while the other was forced around the pen, with the occasional use of an electric prod, for an additional minute before stunning. The additional time and handling in the stunning area was sufficiently stressful to induce meat quality problems in the carcasses (lower pH, greater rigor, water holding capacity). There was a significant stress x sex interaction, with females being more responsive to stress than the males.