Vets slam kosher and halal meat

ANGER OVER SLAUGHTER

LEADING vets have blasted religious leaders for supporting halal slaughter without first stunning the beasts.

Animals destined to become halal and kosher products in the UK are excluded from facing a stun gun, forcing them to feel excruciating pain during their butchery.

A study by the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Science found 69% of Muslim scholars opposed stunning before slaughter to reduce discomfort.

The research, published in the Meat Science Journal, said the religious academics needed to be schooled about animal welfare as soon as possible.

It said: “The lack of understanding of stunning among some scholars has resulted in the issuance of confusing fatwas on the suitability of stunned meat for consumption by Muslims.

“There is an urgent need for these scholars to be given theoretical and practical ® education on stunning and other modern slaughter techniques such as mechanical slaughter.”

Under Islamic rule, an animal must be alive when slaughtered. British Muslims have differing views about the killing process of animals, with some halal licensing bodies accepting stunning of the animal and others rejecting it.

More than 2.4million sheep and goats had their throats cut without stunning in 2013, the latest recorded year, which is about 60% up on 2011, according to Food Standards Agency surveys.

Gudrun Ravetz, president of the British Veterinary Association, said: “This study highlights worrying misconceptions about what constitutes humane slaughter. It underlines the need for dialogue and education so that there is a consistent understanding of the welfare benefits of pre-stunning.”