Require meat to be labelled if religiously slaughtered & stunned or not stunned

We want the Government to require all meat products to be clearly labelled to show whether the animal was religiously slaughtered (RS or NRS) and if the animal was stunned before slaughter or not-stunned before slaughter (SS or NSS).

Current labelling rules do not provide enough transparency. In some cases, animals may undergo a recoverable stun and regain consciousness during the slaughter process. We believe this raises important animal welfare concerns that the public should be fully informed about.

We are also concerned that meat from religious slaughter may enter the wider food chain without consumers being aware of the method used. We believe transparency and informed choice are essential.

The government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter and would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter, but respects the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs. In England and Wales, the first national legislative requirement for stunning before slaughter was 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.

A significant proportion of halal meat comes from animals that are stunned before slaughter. The 2024 Slaughter Sector Survey showed, for example, that 88% of halal meat chickens in England and Wales were stunned prior to slaughter.

Stunned halal slaughter uses the same stunning methods as general slaughter. For all stunning methods, the stun must be effective. Legislation requires checks to be made to ensure that animals do not present any signs of consciousness and sensibility between stunning and death. If animals are not properly stunned, appropriate measures such as a back-up stun must be taken.

Additional information can be found in a blog article published by the Food Standard Agency, available here: Food Fact Check: Animal welfare in abattoirs and slaughterhouses – Food Standards Agency.

Whilst 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.