A petition calling for clearer labelling of stunned and non-stunned slaughter meat has passed a major milestone, with more than 15,000 signatures (15,541) at the time of writing.
The online document, set up by Anthony Stacey, urges the Government to require all meat products to be clearly labelled to show whether the animal was religiously slaughtered (RS or NRS) and whether it was stunned before slaughter (SS or NSS). The petition states that current labelling rules do not provide enough transparency, adding that in some cases animals may undergo a recoverable stun and regain consciousness during the slaughter process.
Concerns over transparency and informed choice
The petition says: "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."
Halal means "permissable" in Arabic, and for meat to be halal, a Muslim must carry out the slaughter, the animal must be alive and healthy at the point of slaughter, and a religious dedication must be spoken. About 88% of halal meat in the UK comes from animals that were pre-stunned, as many Muslims accept pre-stunning if it is reversible and does not kill the animal, according to RSPCA Assured.
Jews also eat non-stunned meat. Kosher means "fit" or "pure" in Hebrew, and animals must be slaughtered using shechita. They must be healthy and uninjured, the slaughter must be carried out by a trained Schochet, and a razor-sharp knife is used to make the cut.
Government response on labelling and welfare
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said in response: "Whilst there is no regulatory requirement for labelling of meat from animals slaughtered without stunning, any information of this nature must be accurate and must not be misleading to the consumer. 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."
Officials highlighted that 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," the Government said.
DEFRA noted that major retailers have sourcing policies that require fresh meat to come from animals that have been stunned before slaughter. "They may operate limited concessions for halal or kosher food that will be clearly labelled," it added. "Some farm assurance schemes, such as Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured, require stunning before slaughter."
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.
"As set out in our animal welfare strategy, the government is committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, we will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and non-governmental organisations to explore how improved food labelling more generally could provide greater consumer transparency and promote better animal welfare," the Government said.
