Require non-stunned and stunned meat to be labelled accordingly

We think it should be required that the labelling of non-stunned and stunned meat be clearly labelled throughout the food chain. This includes shops, supermarkets, suppliers, fast food and restaurants

This would include labels on every product available to consumers We think UK government should implement mandatory method of slaughter labelling for all meat products Stunned or Non-Stunned. For all industries linked to food, including but not limited to shops, supermarkets, schools, restaurants, fast food, cafes and suppliers

We think this promotes consumer choice, enhances transparency, especially for religion and ethics

We think no one should be forced to consume food which doesn't meet their ethical and religious choices, they should have the right to choose without prejudice

The government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter and would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter, but the government respects the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs. The first national legislative requirement for stunning before slaughter was – in England and Wales – the Slaughter of Animals Act 1933. The Act also introduced an exception from the requirement to stun when animals are slaughtered in accordance with religious rites, for the food of Muslims and Jews.

Whilst currently there are no regulations that require the labelling of meat from animals slaughtered without stunning, where any information of this nature is provided it must be accurate and must not be misleading to the consumer. Additionally, major retailers have sourcing policies requiring that fresh meat comes from animals that have been stunned before slaughter. They may operate limited concessions for halal or kosher food that will be clearly labelled. Some farm assurance schemes, such as Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured, require stunning before slaughter.

A consultation on proposals to improve and extend current method of production labelling was undertaken last year by the previous government. The consultation sought views on options for the production standards behind the label, including the period of life which should be covered by the standards. The government’s response to this consultation is available on https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fairer-food-labelling. The government will consider the potential role of this labelling as part of the ongoing development of the government’s wider animal welfare strategy. This includes consideration of the period of life that could be covered by labelling standards, up to and including whether the animal is stunned before slaughter.