Critics Condemn UK`s Defra for Ignoring Slaughter Practices in Food Labeling Consultation

Critics are slamming the “Fairer Food Labeling” consultation for its failure to take into account slaughter practices and its limited coverage of species, highlighting the issue of “NSS: Government Putting Up “Barriers” to Non-Stun Slaughter Labels”.

Expressing “tremendous disappointment,” the NSS rebuked the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for its recent consultation on “fairer food labeling,” which notably excludes considerations of slaughter methods.

Despite Defra’s research indicating widespread support for such labels, the consultation fails to address the issue directly. The stated purpose of the consultation is to gather opinions on options for enhancing transparency in food labeling.

Animal welfare legislation mandates stunning before slaughter to minimize suffering, but exemptions for religious communities permit slaughter without stunning to meet kosher and halal dietary requirements. Despite consensus among scientists and veterinarians that non-stun slaughter causes undue suffering, there’s no legal mandate for labeling such meat accordingly.

The NSS criticized Defra’s assertion that labeling slaughter methods isn’t necessary, arguing that existing legislation doesn’t protect the millions of animals slaughtered annually without stunning for halal and kosher meat.

Moreover, the current consultation only focuses on chickens and pigs. While pigs can’t be slaughtered without stunning, chickens can undergo non-stun slaughter for halal and kosher meat. Defra estimates that over 16 million chickens are slaughtered annually without stunning.

Defra’s consultation suggests that labeling for cattle and sheep, which can also be slaughtered without stunning for halal and kosher meat, would only be considered after evaluating proposals for chickens and pigs.

The NSS argues that this approach creates “significant barriers” to implementing non-stun slaughter labeling for cattle and sheep, potentially delaying the process for years, if at all.

The NSS highlighted the need for labeling, citing Defra’s figures suggesting that a considerable percentage of meat from animals slaughtered without stunning enters the general market unlabelled. Additionally, over half of all cattle slaughtered for kosher are rejected for failing to meet religious standards but deemed suitable for wider consumption.

NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson criticized Defra for failing to address consumer needs, stressing the importance of clear labeling for meat from animals slaughtered without stunning.