Our right to know exactly what we are eating

In an age where religious rights are still allowed to trump other civil and human rights, the rights of animals clearly have no chance. Despite the Farm Animal Welfare Council finding that killing animals without stunning them first - halal - caused severe suffering, the government rejected a ban on this form of cruelty.

The cruelty goes on, but consumers surely  have the right to know if the meat they are buying at the supermarket has been killed by using these unnecessarily cruel methods? Sadly, this is not a given. The Foods Standards Agency is consulting on this issue of labelling. And anyone who feels strongly about the issue should contact Anthony Flower (email) and let him know.

Comments

[Danivon]

To be honest, I don't think that the FAWC are completely right on this - not to mention that the 'stunning' that conventional abattoirs use is not always effective.

There are sound reasons for the kosher/halal method, mainly that the blood drains very quickly. Actually, if you are to criticise halal, you should equally criticise kosher, they are almost identical.

If anything, I'd rather buy meat from a reputable kosher/halal butcher than the cheap mass-produced meat that we get in most supermarkets.

[The Labour Humanist]

Danivon

Thanks, the debate on methods will go on, but at the end of the day I believe consumers have the right to know.