Conservative MP Esther McVey has introduced proposed legislation that would require clear compulsory labelling of halal and kosher meat sold in UK supermarkets and takeaways. The bill, presented to the House of Commons, was backed by MPs from Labour, Reform, Restore and the DUP.
Ms McVey said more than one in five animals processed in England and Wales are now slaughtered in line with Muslim or Jewish religious practices. This means people of other religions, or none, are eating the products without knowing it, she argued.
Concerns over non-stunned slaughter
Kosher meat and some halal meat is produced without stunning the animal before slaughter, a practice critics say causes unnecessary suffering. The proposed law would not ban the practice but would introduce clear compulsory labelling so consumers know exactly what they are purchasing, the MP said.
Ms McVey said major supermarket chains and takeaway outlets were selling the products without making it clear to customers. She added that non-stunned meat is also served in schools by 17 local councils, most of which are not Islamic faith schools, meaning parents and pupils may have had no idea what children were eating. It is also being served in UK hospitals, where patients do not know what they are eating.
Government figures cited
Presenting her legislation, Ms McVey said the Government's own figures show that of the approximately one billion animals processed in England and Wales in 2024, an estimated 215 million were slaughtered to produce halal meat. She said what was meant to be an exemption is certainly not one.
Government guidance is clear that meat resulting from non-stunned slaughter must be intended for consumption by Jews or Muslims, but production is clearly going way beyond that, she said. She also noted that the UK now exports halal meat overseas, with an almost 700% increase in sheep meat exported to the United Arab Emirates between 2018 and 2019.
Political backing and government stance
MPs backing the proposed law included Labour MP Graham Stringer, Reform MPs Lee Anderson and Sarah Pochin, the DUP's Sammy Wilson, Restore MP Rupert Lowe, and Conservatives Dame Karen Bradley and Sir Edward Leigh. Ms McVey also criticised Labour for publishing an animal welfare strategy in late 2024 that made no reference to slaughter without prior stunning.
Ministers say there are no regulations requiring the labelling of religiously slaughtered meat. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the Government respects religious freedoms and expects the food industry to provide consumers with all the information they need to make informed choices. Ms McVey's attempt to change the law is unlikely to succeed unless it receives government backing.
