Halal and Kosher meat should labelling be mandatory?

I live in a multi cultural town and the meat is labelled as Halal, it's quite obvious even in our local tesco

You are completely right AuntieE the reason I stopped eating flesh of any kind.

Monica with respect not everyone can afford that meat as I believe it is more expensive.

I agree that all meat should be labelled, then we can choose whether we buy.

As I say ad nauseum, I only buy British reared, 'Pasture for Life' meat. 100% grass reared on unimproved pasture rich in species and slaughtered in a humane way.

None of my Jewish or Muslim friends would dream of being meat that was not certified as being slaughtered according to their religious requirements, so I am surprised that this problem can crop up.

Regardless of how an animal is slaughter, no animal can approach a slaughterhouse without smelling the blood, and probably the smell of death as well.

So in my opinion, anyone who, as I do myself, eats meat, but starts fussing about how the animal was actually slaughtered is displaying either a remarkable lack of knowledge about slaughter-houses, or displaying a moral double standard.

83% of abattoirs are halal certified. You are eating it everyday. Schools and hospitals serve halal only. Always look at the slaughter code beginning with GB, in Sainsburys, M&S etc the only chicken from non halal slaughter houses are the free range or organic ones. People haven’t got a clue about how rife it is. Also learn about the way it’s stunned, most is just pre stunned so the animal can come back to life while the blood drains from it. We need fully stunned animals only in the UK.

ExDancer

I'm sure I read somewhere that all meat used in state school kitchens is now kosher slaughtered. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

It certainly would be Halal at my grandchildren's primary, at least half of the pupils are moslem.

ExDancer

I'm sure I read somewhere that all meat used in state school kitchens is now kosher slaughtered. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

Exdancer that’s what I understood also.

“Use the right term next time”

butterandjam Who do you think you are speaking to posters in such a way?

BlueBelle

Have any of you seen an English slaughter house and the terror within them The animals know…. the chickens and turkeys are hung up on a conveyor belt, (unless it’s all changed)
So the only answer is stop all your meat and fish eating some of the methods of killing fish, tuna in particular comes to mind are horrific with the sea running red doesn’t anyone mind that!

Yes, I spent a week.In a chicken plant, and at an abbatoir.
The chickens & conveyor belts were hideous, I hope they've improved the system now.
All the pigs & cattle were pre-stunned though & it worked. It's in the slaughtermen's interests to keep them calm & treat them as well as maybe, both so they can get home earlier and to avoid problems with meat quality (and for the sake of humanity).
It's important that they're not transported far, & that they're not overheated or deprived of water on the journey. I think UK are among the best in the world for these sort of regulations, yet another reason to choose British meat.

www.bva.co.uk/take-action/our-policies/non-stun-slaughter/

"The EU regulation on the Protection of animals at the time of killing and regulations in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland require that all livestock are stunned before slaughter to render them insensible to pain at the time of killing.

EU and UK legislation allows an exemption for animals slaughtered in accordance with religious rites which provides for non-stun slaughter where food is intended for the consumption of Jews and Muslims.

The Jewish method of slaughter known as "Shechita" does not accept stunning prior to slaughter.

For the Muslim method of 'Halal' slaughter there are many that do accept stunning prior to slaughter as long as that stun is considered reversible, meaning the animal could theoretically recover from the stun.

According to the most recent figures available from the Food Standards Agency, as of 2024, 88% of halal meat was stunned prior to slaughter. From those same figures, over 1 billion animals were slaughtered in England and Wales in 2024, of that figure, 30.11 million were killed using a non-stun slaughter method.

There is currently NO non-stun slaughter in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

ExDancer

I'm sure I read somewhere that all meat used in state school kitchens is now kosher slaughtered. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

You're wrong. NOT "all meat in state school kitchens."

Only Jewish faith schools serve meat slaughtered according to Shechita

Use the right term next time.

Shechita is the specific Jewish religious method of slaughtering permitted animals for food, whereas Kosher is the much broader umbrella term that describes any food or practice that complies with Jewish dietary law (Kashrut).

Have any of you seen an English slaughter house and the terror within them The animals know…. the chickens and turkeys are hung up on a conveyor belt, (unless it’s all changed)
So the only answer is stop all your meat and fish eating some of the methods of killing fish, tuna in particular comes to mind are horrific with the sea running red doesn’t anyone mind that!

Anyone who eats meat is already eating meat form animals that have not been pre-stunned. The hindquarters for example are rarely considered kosher because of certain requirements in the preparation, I believe halal has similar restrictions. Such meat is inevitably going to be present in a lot of prepared meals in supermarkets and in restaurants. Many schools do use all halal meat.

Animals killed for halal can be pre-stunned and many in the UK are, but not all. There are religious exemptions in Wales and Northern Ireland to allow animals to not be pre-stunned, but not in Scotland. Animals killed for kosher cannot be pre-stunned.

It's the labelling that needs tightening, most halal/kosher meat comes from animals that were stunned but the current labelling requirements don't need to state this.

All Scottish, Welsh and NI slaughterhouses stun animals before slaughter.

Very much so,

Yes I agree with Sago, I try to avoid eating kosher or halal meat. Should be labelled wherever it's sold.

If you are concerned for the animal you’re eating, why don’t you stop eating meat?

Only fair to the consumer, to know what exactly they are buying.

ExDancer

I'm sure I read somewhere that all meat used in state school kitchens is now kosher slaughtered. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

I’m pretty sure that this isn’t true, as most schools will be governed by the rules of either their local authority or their academy trust.

Some schools have meals supplied ready cooked, lots still maintain their own kitchen staff and chefs or cooks.

It was labelled in a cafe I was in last week, the only concern I had was that if I wanted to eat meat there was no alternative. I actually don't think I will use that cafe again but I am probably using cafes etc where it isn't labelled.

Yes absolutely.

Definitely!

Clearly labelled so that the customer can see what they are buying.

I would go further and legislate that all restaurants, takeaways, etc., displaying what products are Halal or Kosher.

We only eat chicken or fish but would like more info on how what we eat was farmed or caught and how it was killed.
I imagined meat that is halal or kosher would mention this simply because of any Muslim or Jewish customers so am surprised it isn’t labelled as such.
It certainly should be.

I'm sure I read somewhere that all meat used in state school kitchens is now kosher slaughtered. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.