Slaughter without pre-stunning can cause severe suffering to farm animals according to opponents of the practice, but Jewish and Muslim groups forbid stunning animals before their throats are cut.
Under UK animal welfare legislation, all animals must be stunned before slaughter to render them insensible to pain.
However, EU laws have an exemption permitting non-stun slaughter for religious purposes, for example in halal and kosher meat. The UK government implements these exceptions.
.... The RSPCA and British Veterinary Association (BVA) are calling for an end to non-stun slaughter a position that has angered Jewish and Muslim communities.
Countries that have brought in a ban on the religious slaughter of animals for the production of halal and kosher meat, include Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland.
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