Shoppers have been unwittingly buying meat from animals that were not stunned when killed under religious rules because it is going unlabelled in supermarkets, a consumer watchdog has warned.
.... The revelation prompted both vets’ leaders and the RSPCA to renew calls for a national ban on no-stun slaughter.
.... The proportion of animals stunned before slaughter for halal meat last year dropped significantly, the figures also showed. Experts say killing without stunning is cruel as animals still feel pain and distress during a prolonged death. Regulations allow non-stun slaughter provided the meat is consumed only by religious communities.
But there is no law forcing food companies or supermarkets to say whether stunning took place so most supermarket shoppers are unaware of the background to their meat. [The Independent] Read more
