RSPCA calls for a ban on exporting non-stunned meat
UK meat which has been slaughtered without being stunned beforehand should be banned from export.
According to animal welfare charity RSPCA, in recent years the number of animals slaughtered without stunning has been falling – but the proportion of those being exported to other countries has risen.
The RSPCA currently tolerates non-stun slaughter to serve the needs of the UK religious communities that require halal or kosher food, but it has drawn the line at using the practice to serve exports markets.
According to the Food Standards Agency there has been a significant reduction in the number of animals slaughtered without pre-stunning, from a predicted 94 million in 2018 to 25.4 million in 2022, but those destined for foreign shores is rising. Exports of non-stunned meat are now equivalent to 800,000 sheep per year.
Head of Public Affairs at the RSPCA, David Bowles, said: “We are pleased that the number of animals slaughtered without pre-stunning has dropped significantly since figures were last released four years ago.
The Scottish Farmer
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