ShechitaUK announced recent discussions with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Animal Welfare. Shimon Cohen, Campaign Direction told the Jewish Weekly: “Shechita UK has participated in a round table discussion at the All Party Parliamentary Group on Animal Welfare to discuss proposals for method of slaughter labelling. Our long-standing position has been, that if there is demand, consumers should have every right to know what they are eating. However, it is neither correct nor sufficient for meat to be labelled as ‘stunned’ or ‘non-stunned’ as it would be dishonest to mislead the consumer into believing that mechanical stunning is some kind of therapeutic, calm, relaxing, medicinal process which gently sends the animal into a woozy state of unconsciousness. Mechanical stunning processes are aggressive invasive actions, designed to speed up the factories’ slaughter processes, with dubious welfare claims attached.
We are encouraged that labelling discussions have now moved on to open, honest and comprehensive method of slaughter labelling which would ensure that consumers know whether their meat has been mechanically stunned by asphyxiation by gas, Low Atmospheric Pressure Stunning (LAPS), electrocution by tongs or electric water-bath or shooting with a captive bolt gun into the brain; or indeed Shechita.
We hope that all involved will continue working with religious communities in a respectful manner, to ensure that any labelling gives the consumer a full understanding of every stage of the slaughter process.”