Vet leaders concerned at non-stun slaughtering

Vet leaders have hit out at figures which reveal an increase in the number of animals slaughtered without being stunned first.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA), which has campaigned for a ban on slaughter without stunning, said it was gravely concerned by slaughter results from a Food Standards Agency survey.

The survey reveals 24.4% of sheep and goats killed between April and June this year were slaughtered without being stunned first, while 18.5% of poultry was also slaughtered this way.

This compares to 15% of sheep and goats in 2013 and 3% of chickens. The number of cattle being slaughtered without stunning has reduced to 1% from 2% before.

“This huge increase in the number of sheep, goats and poultry that are not stunned or not stunned effectively before slaughter is a grave concern to our profession.

“Millions of individual animals are affected, making this a major animal welfare issue,” said BVA president Gudrun Ravetz.

“The supply of meat from animals that have not been stunned massively outstrips the demand from the communities for which it is intended and is entering the mainstream market unlabelled.”

She said the organisation reiterated its call for all animals to be stunned before slaughtered.

“If slaughter without stunning is still to be permitted, any meat from this source must be clearly labelled,” she said.