Rscpa

[Lindylou]

What are the RSPCA doing about the cruelty involving Halal slaughter techniques? And why haven't they done something about it already? I will never, ever, knowingly buy Halal meat.

[Svejk]

its the lib/left default position, Naomi. Throw out accusations of racism and bigotry. They never come back to apologize when proved wrong, do they?

[EDDIE51]

emmie , mass production is right, 900,000,000 animals are killed for food every year in the UK alone. 200 chickens per HOUR !! ( 24 hours a day 7 days a week) are killed for food in the UK. It works out at around 13 animals per person per year for the entire UK population. One every 4 weeks for each of us.

[emmie]

which wasn't the norm when i was growing up,
we are a much larger population, and one that has got used to relatively cheap food, and huge choice, so you could if so minded, and your pocket allows eat meat every day, or fish to vary it a bit, people won't wake up to the fact that this is the reason for industrial scale food processing.
those who eat organic still can't be 100 percent certain the animal had a decent time on the planet to munch grass, seeds, free to peck or roam over the farm. I did as mentioned have the misfortune to be in close proximity to two of these chicken sheds, massive things with thousands of birds, we were staying near the place, and i actually vomited from the choking stench, the o/h turned a rather puce colour, we left sharpish and moved hotels

[Brenden]

I only buy free range eggs, and the fish in Morrisons (apart from fresh fish) is labelled i.e. line caught etc. Why are we being subjected to halal meat when muslims (who only eat halal) are in the minority - let them be subjected to the English way of slaughtering meat and if they don't like it - well. And will the RSPCA do anything about it, doubt it treading on eggshell and all that PC crap. I will sign the petition most willingly - but will not be holding my breath.

[emmie]

Brenden, agreed, however how can any of us know whether free range eggs means chickens are free to roam, or just that they live in a shed and have a few inches of space, large scale processing doesn't generally allow the niceties of choice. I buy free range, however i only get them from the supermarket because there are no farms where i live. I believe we have made inroads in animal welfare on the larger more nature style creatures, like whales, bears, lions, tigers, but even those we are killing off due to taking the land that they roam over.

[emmie]

long piece but worth a read, he knows a lot about its source.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hughs-fish-fight/articles/all/fish-labels-debunked

[Brenden]

Isn't it frightening though emmie that we really do not know what we are eating or drinking any more - I remember a few years ago that news leaked out that cattle were being pumped with hormones to make them fatter and therefore bring in a higher price when sold. Also GM foods have crept into our food chain the main one being sweet corn - we do not stand a damn chance against these odious practices.

[emmie]

it is, but i wonder that unless you lived on the land, farmer or a farm worker, the city folk wouldn't have a clue as to how the animals lived. with a smaller population say a 100 years ago there wouldn't have been the need for such meats, the reason is that only a relative few could afford it,this was also a time we still observed the seasonal produce cycle, now we can almost any product at any time of the year, buy tomatoes from Spain, avocados from Israel, i think? and any place that can produce food for a world market.

[emmie]

the fact remains is that we are a meat eating nation, red meats are giving way though to chicken, as people think that is a better alternative, it may not be.

[ladybirder]

The EU-wide law banning battery farms comes into force tomorrow (Hurrah!) but as this article says, who will actually take any notice of it except us of course. So if cheaper eggs from abroad start flooding the market you'll know why.

[EDDIE51]

I was wrong on the last answer it should be 200 chickens per MINUTE not per hour are slaughtered for food in the UK.
Lindylou if you buy meat of any sort from any source you are buying meat from animals that suffered pain and stress while they were being killed so you could eat them. It is just not possible to kill an animal without it suffering. Same goes for fish, no matter how they are caught hook , net or line they suffer lack of Oxygen and are then cut open, gutted and filleted while alive. Then this happens out at sea on a fishing boat where there is no one to notice so we hear little about it, out of sight out of mind.

[naomi24]

Svejk, accusations of racism and bigotry are usually designed solely to shut people up. Such nonsense is best treated with the contempt it deserves.

[emmie]

i am sure there are ways to circumvent EU directives, no matter the country. i would like to see many more inspectors of food producers, that includes abattoirs, butchers, farms, its costly but surely its the least the government and governing body that is in control of our food stuffs.
the eggs i buy are stamped, however that doesn't mean to say i know for sure they were produced here. The way to do that is to own chickens, which isn't feasible. Many don't care where the food comes from and how its processed, they know they need x x and buy it -

[naomi24]

Some countries have banned this method of slaughter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bans_on_ritual_slaughter

[emmie]

good, however how would anyone know if it still goes on in those countries, or that it would be accepted in UK and adhered to.
as i mentioned the man being interviewed on the news, said his customers wouldn't buy from him if it was not halal, and many of our butchers and not just in markets are only halal. I buy what i can afford, like most, however if it actually says halal then i know i won't buy it, irrespective of whether the animal has been stunned, or prayers said

[emmie]

from your link

The European Union directive, "European Convention for the Protection of Animals for Slaughter",[17] generally requires stunning before slaughter, but allows member states to allow exemptions for religious slaughter: "Each Contracting Party may authorize derogations from the provisions concerning prior stunning in the following cases: – slaughtering in accordance with religious rituals ...".

Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights provides for a right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion which includes the freedom to manifest a religion or belief in, inter alia, practice and observance, subject only to such restrictions as are "in accordance with law" and "necessary in a democratic society."

[naomi24]

If religious requirements are detrimental to any living creature, including other human beings, then society must stop pussyfooting and start saying a very determined ‘no’.

[Gromit]

NAOMI SAYS NO!

We can get T-Shirts made.

[naomi24]

Gromit, ?