Millions of animals are suffering unnecessarily by being slaughtered without stunning to meet religious demands.
That's why we campaign to end religious exemptions to animal welfare laws.
Animal welfare law requires animals to be stunned before slaughter to minimise their pain, suffering and distress. The only exemption is for Jewish and Muslim communities to meet kosher and halal religious dietary preferences.
The scientific consensus is clear that it is more humane to stun an animal prior to slaughter. The slaughter of animals without pre-stunning is permitted in the UK despite a recommendation by the government's own advisory body, the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC), that the practice should be banned. FAWC concluded that animals slaughtered without pre-stunning are likely to experience "very significant pain and distress".
RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming and the British Veterinary Association all support an end to non-stun slaughter to improve animal welfare at the time of death.
- 70% of Brits think stunning animals before slaughtering them is more ethical.
- 72% of the population think food produced from religious non-stun slaughter methods should be clearly labelled.
We support the right to religious freedom. But this is not an absolute right. Religious exemptions shouldn't be made to laws meant to prevent unnecessary animal cruelty.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Ask your MP to end the religious exemption that allows animals to be slaughtered without pre-stunning.
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
3. Join the National Secular Society
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Unstunned meat widespread in UK supermarkets, NSS research reveals
Posted: Thu, 4 Jan 2018 12:10
Meat from animals which have not been stunned before slaughter is widespread in UK supermarkets, National Secular Society research has found.
The NSS examined the policies of 11 supermarket chains and their online produce range, and found that the majority require all meat for their own-brand products to be pre-stunned. This is in line with animal welfare legislation requiring animals to be stunned before slaughter to minimise suffering. But several sell non-stunned meat from other brands, and only two credibly commit to selling meat only from animals that are pre-stunned.
Four supermarkets – Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco – sold halal meat from animals which were not stunned, without clear labelling to indicate this. Five of the supermarkets – Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose – sold kosher meat online. All kosher meat is from unstunned animals.
Waitrose sells unstunned meat despite a policy which misleadingly implies otherwise. Waitrose's policy says: "All the livestock that provide meat for Waitrose are pre-stunned before slaughter to ensure they are insensitive to pain before being killed". It does not make clear that this refers only to own-brand products.
The only major supermarket that credibly and explicitly rejected all non-stunned meat was Marks & Spencer. Their policy states, "All the meat and poultry we sell must, without exception, come from animals that have been humanely slaughtered and animals must be pre-slaughter stunned". No non-stunned halal or kosher products were found on their online site.
Co-op also appears to have rejected unstunned meat at present. "No Co-op own brand fresh and frozen British meat or poultry is Halal certified or slaughtered in a ritual method," its policy states. "We do sell some non-Co-op branded Halal certified meat in a small number of stores where there is sufficient demand, but again this is all stunned prior to slaughter."
Slaughterhouses that kill animals for kosher or halal meat can currently be granted exemption from the requirement to pre-stun animals.
The NSS's research comes shortly after the Government re-stated its interest in introducing labelling requirements for halal and kosher meat to indicate the method of slaughter. Farming minister George Eustice said the Government would consider the move so shoppers can make an "informed choice". His words back up a similar statement from Lord Gardiner of Kimble to the NSS in November.
NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said the research had "demonstrated the need for more robust action on unstunned meat".
"We welcome the Government's apparent willingness to introduce labelling to inform consumers, but this must now be backed up in practice. Clear and accurate labelling of meat from non-stun slaughter is necessary to provide consumers with relevant information and will also serve to reduce the amount of meat from non-stun slaughter entering the mainstream food chain. Hiding away the provenance of unstunned meat helps to normalise animal cruelty and serves the interests of religious hardliners who want to increase its supply.
"And ultimately animal welfare laws should apply fairly across society. This means repeal of the religious exemption that permits non-stun slaughter in the first place."
At present there is no legislation requiring meat from animals slaughtered without stunning to be labelled as such, meaning consumers cannot tell which brands of halal meat are stunned unless they research the topic.
The majority of halal meat in the UK is pre-stunned. For example, halal supplier Najma states: "We follow the Islamic values of treating all animals with kindness and compassion. To ensure the welfare of the animals, we do use recoverable stunning prior to slaughter. This is in accordance to the specific rules set out by the Islamic faith and under supervision of our European Halal certifying bodies."
But other brands, including Shazans Select HMC range and Humza, are certified by authorities such as the Halal Monitoring Committee and Halal Monitoring Board, which only certify meat that has not been stunned before slaughter. New data from the Food Standards Agency has revealed a sharp rise in the number of animals slaughtered without pre-stunning over the last four years.
The RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming and the British Veterinary Association have all criticised non-stun slaughter, along with many animal welfare experts. The Farm Animal Welfare Council – a UK Government body – has said the practice should be banned. The EU's Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Welfare has said "pre-cut stunning should always be performed".
The NSS campaigns for religious exemptions to animal welfare laws to be abolished. While non-stun slaughtered meat is still permitted, the Society is calling for clearer labelling on meat slaughtered by religious methods to help consumers make informed choices. The NSS has criticised recent proposals for labelling of halal meat as confusing.
Government considering labelling of non-stunned meat
Posted: Thu, 16 Nov 2017 17:44
The Government is considering introducing labelling requirements to ensure consumers know whether halal or kosher meat has been stunned before slaughter, the National Secular Society can reveal.
In a reply to NSS campaigns director Stephen Evans, Lord Gardiner of Kimble, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity, wrote: "This is an issue the Government is considering in the context of the UK's exit from the EU."
"The Government is aware that there is public concern about meat from animals slaughtered in accordance with religious beliefs being sold to consumers who do not require their meat to be prepared in this way," Lord Gardiner wrote.
"There are no domestic or European regulations that require the labelling of halal or kosher meat but where any information of this nature is provided, it must be accurate and must not be misleading to the consumer. The Government believes that consumers should have the necessary information available to them to make an informed choice about their food."
The response came after the NSS wrote to Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, last month. The Society highlighted data from the Food Standards Agency, which showed a sharp rise in the number of animals killed without stunning over the last four years.
Mr Evans asked what consideration the Government had given to the idea of labelling either stunned or non-stunned meat, a measure which "would at least allow consumers to make an informed choice".
A previous attempt in 2010 to introduce labelling of non-stunned meat as part of EU food labelling legislation was dropped by European ministers following intense lobbying from Muslim and Jewish groups.
The NSS campaigns for an end to religious exemptions to animal welfare laws, as Mr Evans stressed in the letter. "Whilst we support the right to religious freedom, we recognise that this is not an absolute right, and do not support religious exemptions from animal welfare regulations intended to ensure that farm animals are slaughtered under the most humane conditions possible," he wrote.
While the exemptions exist the NSS has called for clear labelling to meat which is non-stunned.
Lord Gardiner did not indicate a willingness to end the religious exemption to animal welfare laws. "The Government encourages the highest standards of welfare at slaughter and would prefer to see all animals stunned before they are slaughtered for food," he wrote. "However, we also respect the rights of the Jewish and Muslim communities to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs."
The latest move comes amid concern that hardline interpretations of religious 'law' are being used to justify an increase in animal suffering. Last year the Halal Food Authority, an accreditation body for halal meat which has previously shown a preference for non-stunned meat, introduced a 'stun free' certification to show which of its meat was 'traditional halal'. Its main rival, the Halal Monitoring Committee, only acknowledges meat as halal if it is not stunned before slaughter.
The Government recently announced that mandatory CCTV is to be introduced in all slaughterhouses, with vets being given unrestricted access to the footage. Abattoirs found to be failing welfare standards could face a criminal investigation, the suspension or revocation of staff licenses, or enforcement letters.
Mr Gove said the new plans for mandatory cameras, which are to be phased in this year, would ensure Britain is a "global leader" in animal welfare standards as the country leaves the EU.
And in July the Food Standards Agency announced it will publish quarterly data on the number of abattoirs using non-stun slaughter as well as how many animals are slaughtered without stunning.
The issue has also caused significant local controversies. Last month Lancashire County Council voted to stop supplying non-stunned halal meat to schools, a move the NSS lobbied for. Last week the NSS wrote to Bradford's district council to urge it to follow suit.
Responding to the latest news, Mr Evans said: "The fact that the Government is considering the introduction of method of slaughter labelling is a small but important step. Labelling would at least give consumers who do not wish to eat non-stunned halal or kosher meat the opportunity to avoid it.
"But it is still disappointing that the Government appears unwilling to tackle the religious exemption to the animal welfare laws. We will continue to press for the end of this, in order to protect both animal welfare and the principle of one law for all."
Discuss this on Facebook.
