Published 07/05/2014

Compassion is backing a petition started by the British Veterinary Association which is urging for an end to slaughter without stunning in the UK.

EU and UK law requires all animals to be stunned before slaughter to render them insensible to pain. The law allows an exemption on the requirement to stun before slaughter for certain communities.

Animals slaughtered for kosher or halal meat are allowed to be slaughtered without being stunned. Many animals slaughtered for halal are stunned as some Muslims accept stunning provided that it renders the animal unconscious but does not kill it.

Compassion believes that all slaughter should be humane, which means that animals must be stunned before slaughter.

Whilst slaughter without stunning is permitted, Compassion supports clearer labelling so consumers can choose whether they want to eat meat from animals that have been slaughtered without being stunned.

The petition has already reached over 20,000 signatures meaning the government must address it with a response.

The Sun and the Daily Mail have today published stories on Pizza Express serving Halal chicken. We understand that Pizza Express has a pre-stun slaughter policy on all of its chicken.

Figures from the Food Standards Agency suggest that more than 80% of animals slaughtered under halal conditions in the UK are stunned before slaughter.

Take Action:

• Please sign and share the petition, if we reach 100,000 signatures it will be considered for debate in the House of Commons.