Don't think my grandson has school dinners

[dotty.]

but if he did he says he wouldn;t eat the meat incase it was Halal and the animal had been slaughtered whilst still alive. I agree, yet it's only just come to light that Lancashire County Council have been allowing their school dinner suppliers to supply Halal meet from animals killed without stunning, what's going on, why weren't parents given the choice?

[dotty.]

after all it's been that way for 11 years, why only decide now the meet should be from animals stunned before slaughter?

[boxtops]

Most Halal butchers kill extremely quickly, death should be instantaneous. We have discussed before that in some supermarkets, meat is halal - most of us would be unaware of this. My own local butcher didn't realise his chicken breasts were from a halal supplier until I asked him for some, because our Muslim friends were coming for a meal.

[friedgreentomato]

It's probably cheaper and within their budget and tastes the same

[boxtops]

.. and in areas where there is a high Muslim population, it's easier to provide meat which everyone can eat, rather than having to provide halal for one group and non-halal for others. I don't know, but in high Jewish populations you might find that most of the provision is kosher, too?

[Duncer]

"it's easier to provide meat which everyone can eat, rather than having to provide halal for one group and non-halal for others."

Ridiculous argument - shouldn't the majority provisions dictate which is easiest and most convenient? I resent the tail wagging the dog in this manner.

"incase it was Halal and the animal had been slaughtered whilst still alive"

Dotty, which animals are slaughtered whislt they are NOT alive?

[hc4361]

If you eat New Zealand lamb you are eating Halal meat, without a doubt.
"In answer to your query, I can confirm that much, but not all of the lamb exported from New Zealand is processed in plants that comply with halal requirements. The New Zealand industry does not attempt to hide this fact, but as New Zealand lamb is often not exported in a ‘retail-ready’ form, the decision to label lamb as halal or non-halal is often beyond our control...
Dan Coup
Trade and Economic Manager
Meat Industry Association, New Zealand".

The fact is Muslims and Jews are allowed to slaughter animals in the Halal and Kosher ways for Muslim and Jewish consumption only in the UK.
For such meat to be made available to the whole community is illegal; halal and kosher slaughter is a concession to UK slaughter laws to recognise the needs of Muslims and Jews

Complain and complain again to your MP and Defra. This is wrong on all levels and is ILLEGAL.

[hc4361]

Read this, dotty, from 2 years ago
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1313458/Halal-Britain-Famous-institutions-routinely-serve-public-ritually-slaughtered-meat.html

[boxtops]

It makes no difference to me - halal or not. As it says in hc's link, a skilled halal butcher can kill the animal more quickly than a stunned animal. Most of us wouldn't know the origin of the meats we eat (how many examine the labels closely when we pick up that supermarket chicken or joint of lamb?).

[Janice22]

I write in response to the original question.
The issue here is about choice not religious preferences. This needs to be taken up with the authorities concerned, in this case Lancashire Coiunty Council. If they don't give an adequate response then you need to write to your MP.