Ritual slaughter exemptions cause animal suffering and put consumers at risks
Posted on 28/02/2012
Recent debate in European media shows that consumers are being put at risk due to the widespread failure of EU slaughterhouses to respect European hygiene laws and Eurogroup is extremely concerned as animal welfare is also being compromised in the process.
Under Regulation 853/2004 on the hygiene of food of animal origin the European Union clearly lays out the hygienic process that must be carried out to prevent the spread of contaminated material and the subsequent infection of meat by bacteria and microbes. However under Annex 3 of the Regulation there is an exemption to this process if the slaughter is carried out according to a religious rite. Eurogroup is disgusted that this exemption appears to have become the norm in many parts of the EU.
This not only causes immense animal suffering and is in the main being carried out illegally. It also risks spreading dangerous and often serious illnesses across the EU putting huge numbers of consumers at risk for no reason other than economic greed by meat processors. When non-religious consumers buy and eat meat they have the right to expect that this meat is coming from an animal which has been slaughtered according to the general hygiene rules and not to be exposed to an increased risk without having been clearly informed.
Eurogroup for animals calls on all religious groups to outlaw this necessity and calls for all slaughter to be in accordance with EU law.
Comments
This is so wrong when people claim to be civilised!!! It is time this abuse was ended once and for all. Why must the civilised world have to bow and scrape to these people all the time. Make it law for the sake of the animals please. What have they done to deserve this suffering. Man was put on this earth to take care of it and all that is in it (which includes animals) and not to abuse it!
By Yvonne Karusseit on 2012 02 28
European Law as sovereignty over member nation states, so is the procedure to stop this exemption to take the matter to EU. If food does not meat the standard of hygiene, regardless of how it is carried out then that goes against the law , whether its religious cultural, or not..
By carol sherrington on 2012 02 28
Religious considerations should not take precedence over the law of the land.
By Pam on 2012 02 29
This way of slaughter should be stopped NOW for the sake of these poor Animals, please Ask one question! which way would you like to be killed!! these Animals have NO choice no rights SO PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING BY THEM AND ASK TO BE STUNNED FIRST.
By Sue on 2012 04 27
Recently seen a video of pigs being improperly stunned before going for slaughter. Although this was in the US, have been told that this happens in a slaughterhouse in Birmingham.
By fmog on 2012 04 30
as above is not enough ! barbaric catholic “corridas” in Spain and Portugal must be stopped; Swedish-speaker protestant minority in Aland Isles must stop “trational” slaugthering without stunning !
Backyards pigs slaughering without stunning must be stopped all over Europe, specially in former Eastern Europe Countries. Last but not least, 20 centuries long-lasting christian practice of hunting (and killing almost everything is moving or flying) must equally be stopped immediately and practicing prtosecuted !
as above just to give the ultimate proof we - the civilized and christian inspired europeans - are definitely more civilized and “better” than “the others”. !
By Paolo on 2012 05 21