Latest UK Government figures reveal that meat from more than 90,000 animals slaughtered without stunning could have been sold in supermarkets unlabelled.
The figures, which were due last autumn but were only released yesterday (after we joined forces with the BVA to put pressure on the Government) reveal that 90,500 animals, mainly chickens, slaughtered for religious purposes, could have ended up in UK supermarkets unlabelled.
As the law stands, there is no mandatory requirement to label meat which has been slaughtered without stunning. This means consumers are unaware that they're buying meat produced in this way.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) report revealed that more than 94 million animals were slaughtered without stunning in 2018 - averaging three animals per second. We're now renewing our calls for the UK Government to introduce a ban on this practice.
Dr Marc Cooper, head of our farm animals department, said:
We’re encouraged that these important Food Standards Agency slaughter figures have been released today, following a joint letter last week from the RSPCA and the British Veterinary Association (BVA), urging the UK Government to release these crucial statistics.
The report highlights that over 94 million animals were slaughtered without stunning in 2018. We're against any slaughter of farm animals without stunning as the scientific evidence, and the view from the UK Government’s own advisors, concludesthat this practice can cause unnecessary suffering.
What's particularly disturbing is that 90,000 of the 2.9 million non-stunned animals slaughtered for kosher certified meat were rejected as being ‘unfit for religious consumption'. We're concerned that this meat could be entering the conventional market unlabelled.
Follow the link to read the article in full on the RSPCA website