Animals must be stunned prior to being killed in order for halal and kosher meat to be marketed with the official European Union (EU) organic label, the European Court of Justice has ruled. The court ruled that a ban on selling halal or kosher meat as “organic” was not justified by any scientific evidence because it did not apply to all types of meat. The EU ruling does not affect the legality of ritual halal or kosher slaughter, but will make it harder for some ritually-slaughtered meat to be labelled organic. The UK’s Food Standards Agency estimates that 88% of animals killed under halal methods are stunned. However, a minority of halal – and all kosher – meat is produced without stunning. The case was brought by a French animal welfare association in 2012.
Animals must be stunned prior to being killed in order for halal and kosher meat to be marketed with the official European Union (EU) organic label, the European Court of Justice has ruled. The court ruled that a ban on selling halal or kosher meat as “organic” was not justified by any scientific evidence because it did not apply to all types of meat. The UK’s Food Standards Agency estimates that 88% of animals killed under halal methods are stunned. However, a minority of halal – and all kosher – meat is produced without stunning. The case was brought by a French animal welfare association in 2012.