Millions of UK diners are served halal meat without knowing it.

The Hard Facts

• No Mandatory Labelling

  UK law does not require food outlets to state whether meat is halal or kosher on menus, packaging or signage. This is a consumer information gap.

• Stunning Is Not Universal

  While most halal meat in the UK involves pre-stunning, a significant proportion is slaughtered without it. Halal certification bodies differ on whether stunning is permissible.

• 29% of UK Sheep — Non-Stun

  In 2024, 29% of all sheep slaughtered in England & Wales were non-stunned — up from 23% in 2022. Nearly 1 in 3 sheep receives no stunning at all.

• Reversible Stun

  A reversible stun uses a lower electrical current that temporarily renders the animal unconscious without stopping the heart. The animal would regain consciousness if not immediately slaughtered. Some halal bodies accept this; however, the BVA and RSPCA consider it cruel, as the low current may fail to fully render the animal insensible — posing what the RSPCA calls "an unacceptable risk of suffering."

• HMC vs HFA

  The Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) prohibits pre-stunning. The Halal Food Authority (HFA) permits it. These are distinct certifications with different standards.

• Religious Exemptions

  The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing regulations (WATOK 2015) exempt religious slaughter from the requirement to stun animals before killing.