Embalming

Embalming is defined as 'the preservation of a body from decay, originally with spices and more recently through arterial injection of embalming fluid'.

The current common use of the word 'embalming' is misleading. The process is generally referred to as 'cosmetic embalming' and is used to improve the visual appearance of the body and prevent deterioration in the period leading up to the funeral. It has no long-term preservative value and cannot be compared to the Egyptian process of preserving bodies for a long period.

Decisions about embalming are very personal and you should consider a number of issues. This booklet aims to give you relevant information to help you make your decisions and answer some of the more common questions about cosmetic embalming.

Environmental issues

The embalming process involves removing the body fluids and replacing them with a solution of formaldehyde, often containing a pink dye. The body fluids are treated and passed into the public sewer.

2% of the embalming fluid is normally formaldehyde, which is an irritant and a volatile acid. The process uses about 600 millilitres (one pint) of embalming fluid for every 6 kilograms (one stone) of the body weight, plus another 600 millilitres (one pint) in total. 4.5 to 9 litres (one to two gallons) of embalming fluid may be used. However, we do not know what effect this has on soil, soil organisms and air quality following a burial or cremation so more research is needed. The chemical is used by funeral directors and embalmers who are not responsible for its effect on the cemetery, crematorium or community.

In some burial schemes, such as woodland burial, no chemicals can be used. The restriction may apply to embalming fluid as well as to horticultural chemicals such as pesticides and chemical fertilisers.

Is embalming necessary?

Funeral directors often recommend embalming because it can improve the appearance of the body before the burial or cremation. It is often comforting for the relatives to see the body looking peaceful.

It is difficult to find support for routine embalming in the medical profession. There is no evidence that a body poses a threat to the living, except where death was due to a 'notifiable disease' ( a disease that is easily spread and where the health authority must be informed). There is no evidence of funeral directors, cemetery staff or cremation staff catching an infection from an unembalmed body. Embalmers suggest that the process thoroughly disinfects the body and removes any risk, however slight, to any person who may come into contact with the body. On the other hand, it would seem logical to assume that if a real health risk existed, embalming would be a legal requirement, which it is not. In fact, when a person dies of a notifiable disease, embalming is not allowed.

The British Institute of Embalmers has made the following statement.

"The visual characteristics of a badly damaged body may be improved by additional specialised treatment where time is available. To be effective, it may be necessary to carry out the treatment over more that 24 hours. Effective cosmetic treatment in such cases may also decrease the trauma of a sudden death, and the benefit is almost always acknowledged by the bereaved".

If the person needed a lot of drugs during their last illness, their body can deteriorate rapidly. Refrigeration can delay this.

Viewing the body

You need to consider carefully whether you will benefit from seeing the body at the funeral director's premises. If you do not want to see the body, there does not appear to be any real reason to choose embalming. You may also have seen the body immediately after death and not want to repeat this at the funeral director's premises.

If you want to see the body, you may have to pay a fee for using the funeral director's Chapel of Rest (or Respose). Embalming may also be recommended before you see the body as an unembalmed body may cause distress. You may feel that you are expected to see the body but the choice is yours.

The quality of the embalming

The British Institute of Embalmers (BIE) offers training and certification for members to maintain an identified standard of embalming. Their members may be self employed and provide a service to funeral directors, or are funeral directors or their staff. It takes at least one hour to correctly embalm a body and the charge for this is between £40 and £60 (in 2002), which includes the cost of chemicals and so on.

Some people feel that embalming alters the facial features of the body. Also, some people feel that the 'drawn appearance of the person before they died has been reversed by the unnatural filling-out effect of the embalming fluid. It appears that these are the results of poor-quality embalming. If this happens, you may want to check with your funeral director whether the embalmer is qualified. 

Do you have a choice?

The funeral director should tell you about the embalming process and the advantages it offers. It should only be carried if it will achieve an effective result.

Unfortunately people do not always have the information they need to make an informed choice. This is because many people accept the process simply as 'cosmetic treatment' and do not recognise it as embalming. Also, the process may be carried out as part of the funeral 'package', without getting your permission first. The decision about embalming is important as the process may involve an extra cost on the funeral account. In fact, the British Institute of Embalmers has issued a Code of Ethics that clearly supports the need to make a specific decision about embalming. These state:

"The client's informed consent, preferably in writing, must be obtained".

If you do not want the body embalmed you should make this clear to the funeral director when you are making arrangements for the funeral.

We are here to help you in whatever way we can. If you have any questions about the Cemeteries and Crematorium Service, please phone us, write to us or visit us at the address shown below. The offices are open from 9am - 3.30pm Monday to Friday, not including public and bank holidays. The Cemeteries and Crematorium in the London Borough of Havering are open every day of the year including bank holidays and Christmas Day.