Halal abattoirs are exploiting a legal loophole to kill 2,000 lambs a day without stunning them and then sending the meat overseas, a survey commissioned by the government has revealed.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) called on ministers to ban the export of unstunned meat, saying that it contradicted the spirit of the law on humane slaughter.
Abattoirs are required to stun animals before cutting their throats to prevent them feeling pain but can use an exemption if an animal is being religiously slaughtered for halal or kosher meat. The BVA said that the law had been intended to serve the requirements of British Muslims and Jews, not to enable an export market in unstunned meat. [The Times (£)] Read more
