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@RupertLowe10 earlier posted about his concerns about a large UK institution using just Halal butchered meat and giving them a chance to 'come clean' before he published about it.
I'm sorry Rupert but there is a far more important point here, in my view. The law is being broken and the regulatory authorities know it, the UK retailers know it and I suspect that institutions breaking the law know it too (and probably quite a few MPs).
The key regulation in question is the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/1782), which applies in England, with similar regulations in place for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (e.g., Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Scotland) Regulations 2012).
The specific provision addressing religious slaughter without stunning is found in Regulation 11, which states:
Regulation 11(2): "Nothing in these Regulations prevents the slaughter of an animal without the application of a stunning method prior to slaughter, where the slaughter is carried out in accordance with religious rites, provided that the slaughter is performed by a person who has been both licensed and registered under these Regulations and takes place in a slaughterhouse."
Regulation 11(3): This further specifies that the meat from such slaughter "must be intended for consumption by members of the religious community for which the slaughter is performed.''
This aligns with the exemption for halal or kosher practices and the regulation effectively restricts non-stunned slaughter to meat designated for specific religious consumption, reflecting the intent to balance animal welfare with religious freedom. The requirement for licensed practitioners and slaughterhouse settings ensures oversight, though enforcement and labeling remain points of contention.
Furthermore, this regulation flows directly from an EU Directive, specifically Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 which was transposed into the UK regulation.
Article 4(4): "Member States shall ensure that animals are spared avoidable pain, distress or suffering during their killing and related operations. However, by way of derogation, the requirements of paragraph 1 [stunning before slaughter] shall not apply to animals that are slaughtered in accordance with Article 26(2)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, provided that the slaughter takes place in a slaughterhouse."
Article 26(2)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004: This allows for "slaughter carried out in accordance with religious rites," with the condition that the meat is intended for communities following those rites.
The bottom line is that not only are UK authorities turning a blind eye to their own regulations but the same is true within the EU as well.
I worked for most of my career helping food and drinks bodies to ensure best practice plus pragmatism was encapsulated into law in this arena with both UK and EU bodies and many has been the case of need that we put together plus technical papers. I'm also a qualified lead process auditor. We should remember that these laws are put together for the protection of health and the benefit of the general public. I have to admit to bemoaning the measurable reduction in the standards of our enforcement authorities for many a year but have been a voice in the wilderness. I don't have the clout or the reach to do anything about it.
Rupert, you do and this being an issue that affects us all, I hope you take this further. There are voices on this platform who wish to see not only good law but just administration of it in all arenas. I hope there are others that understand that, whether you think the infringements are minor or don't bother you, the greater principle is that if you have laws, the establishment cannot cherry pick which parts they will enforce and which parts they do not.
I'd appreciate legal views too,@dshensmith @SBarrettBar
Other politicians or political commentators - @benhabib6 , @alanvibe
I'd include journalists but I can hear them already saying this is racism rather than focusing on the importance of the law. Perhaps @TalkTV?
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