World meat industry news

 The European Court of Justice should decide whether the EU regulation on organic farming also allows meat in which the animals are not stunned before slaughter to bear the label of quality.

Photo: pixabay/Willem67

The French animal welfare organisation "Hilfswerk für Schlachttiere" had demanded that halal minced steaks no longer be certified with the EU logo "organic farming". When the French authorities refused, the Versailles Administrative Court appealed to the ECJ.

The European Court of Justice should decide whether the EU regulation on organic farming also allows meat in which the animals are not stunned before slaughter to bear the seal of quality.

The EU Supreme Court ruled no. The EU legislator demanded that the suffering of animals before killing - pain and stress - should be kept to a minimum. This could only be done under anaesthesia. The ritual slaughter without anaesthesia is only allowed in exceptional cases in order to secure the religious freedom of Muslims.

With its judgement the ECJ did not follow for once as an exception the EU Advocate General. He had suggested to leave the organic label on the halal produced mincemeat.