Members of Parliament from across political parties have expressed support for mandatory labelling for meat from animals slaughtered without stunning.
During a Westminster Hall debate yesterday, MPs expressed concern for the welfare of animals which are slaughtered without stunning for religious reasons.
Animal welfare legislation requires all animals to be stunned before slaughter to minimise pain and suffering. But religious exemptions allow slaughter without stunning to meet Jewish and Muslim religious dietary preferences for kosher and halal meat.
While all kosher meat in the UK is from non-stun slaughter, stunned halal meat is widely accepted among Muslims and most halal meat is stunned before slaughter.
The National Secular Society, which campaigns to remove religious exemptions from animal welfare laws, briefed MPs ahead of the debate.
The debate was prompted by a petition to ban non-stun slaughter which gained 109,018 signatures.
Lib Dem MP: Non-stun slaughter “is not only outdated but barbaric”
Many MPs echoed animal welfare concerns shared by vets and campaigners regarding non-stun slaughter.
Lib Dem MP Rachel Gilmour said the practice “is not only outdated but barbaric” and “inflicts needless suffering on animals”.
Danny Chambers, also from the Lib Dems and a veterinary surgeon, said: “The science is clear: the evidence shows that stunning animals before slaughter is the most humane method available”.
Lib Dem Jamie Stone, who opened the debate, pointed out that the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a ban on non-stun slaughter does not violate the human right to freedom of religion or belief, because protecting animal welfare is a “legitimate aim” for restricting religious slaughter. He highlighted that many European countries have already banned the practice.
But several Jewish and Muslim MPs spoke out in favour of non-stun slaughter. Independent MP Ayoub Khan said the non-stun sector is worth £2 billion every year.
Labelling supported by Muslim MPs
Many MPs – including those who object to a ban on non-stun slaughter – did support mandatory labelling for non-stun meat.
NSS-commissioned polling in 2021 found over 70% of people in Britain think food produced from religious non-stun slaughter methods should be clearly labelled.
Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi, who opposed the petition, said she is “very happy” for halal and kosher meat to be labelled and said “I do not think anybody has any problem with that”.
Independent MP Shockat Adam, who also supports non-stun slaughter, said “I am of the firm conviction that many Muslim communities support clear, accurate labelling”.
But Labour MP David Pinto-Duschinsky, who declared he only eats kosher meat, said “labelling meat prepared for the Jewish and Muslim communities as inherently cruel not only is inaccurate, but will feed the fires of prejudice”.
Some parts of animals killed by Jewish ritual slaughter methods (shechita) are not themselves regarded as kosher and are sold on the general market unlabelled. It has been estimated that less than half of the meat from animals slaughtered by shechita is sold in kosher shops, according to the RSPCA. This is despite slaughter guidance specifying that meat from non-stun methods must be intended for Jewish or Muslim communities.
Additionally, in 2022 Defra found over half of all cows slaughtered by shechita during a survey were rejected as not meeting religious requirements but “fit for wider consumption”.
Conservative MP Caroline Johnson pointed out that the Government consulted on food labelling last year, but has not yet responded to the findings.
Several MPs also raised concerns that many more animals die by non-stun slaughter than necessary to meet demand. Conservative MP Jerome Mayhew highlighted analysis which found as many as 99 million animals may be unnecessarily slaughtered without stunning each year.
A permit system to allow the tracking of animals slaughtered without prior stunning and restrictions on exports of non-stun meat were also suggested by MPs.
Responding on behalf of the Government, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner said that despite the Government’s preference that all animals be stunned before slaughter, it intends to “continue to allow the religious slaughter of animals for consumption by Muslims and Jews”.
He recognised that non-stun slaughter of sheep has “effectively doubled” to 29% of all sheep killed in England and Wales, which is driven by an increased demand for non-stun halal.
He said it was “regrettable” that non-stun meat is sold to consumers who object to this slaughter method and that the Government would respond “shortly” on the issue of animal welfare labelling.
NSS: Government commitment to religious slaughter exemptions “disappointing”
NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson said: “It is disappointing the Government has ruled out ending religious exemptions to animal welfare laws around slaughter.
“These exemptions mean millions of animals die by methods which vets agree cause unnecessary suffering.
“We therefore urge the Government, at the very least, to urgently introduce a mandatory labelling scheme which clearly indicates where meat is from animals that have been killed without stunning.
“This debate suggests broad support for such a scheme – even among those who oppose a ban on non-stun slaughter.”
Update 12/06: The results of last year’s consultation on fairer food labelling have now been published. It received 31,000 responses, with over 99% of individuals and 69% of organisations supporting mandatory labelling reform. Over 100 responses said labelling reforms should cover slaughter method, which was not covered in the consultation.