ANIMALS should be stunned before they are slaughtered, the States Vet Linda Lowseck has said, following the opening of Jersey’s first Halal butchers at a farm in St John.
And the farm, where animals have their throats cut and are bled to death, could be shut down if she believes that it compromises animal welfare.
According to the Islamic tradition animals are not stunned before they are killed as the meat has to be ‘clean’ and all the blood drained from the body.
The Muslim holy book, the Koran, says this is the only meat which is ‘permissible’ for Muslims to eat.
But the States Vet said she believes that animals should first be stunned so that they are not conscious when their throats are cut.
And although Mrs Lowseck would not discuss the specifics of the St John farm case she did say that should the department choose to, they could make them stop.
‘I believe that animals should be stunned before they are slaughtered and if this is not happening then we are going to look into it.
‘They are sentient beings and they have nervous systems.
When they are stunned they are no longer conscious but their heart keeps beating.
‘As a general principle if we consider that welfare has been compromised then there are courses of action that can be taken,’ she said.
Until Le Marinel Farm, in St John, began producing Halal meat in co-operation with Jersey’s Imman, Allah Abdelbaky, the Island’s Muslim community had to either refrain from eating meat or have it sent over from the UK.
The woman behind the enterprise, Christine Joshua, says she does not believe that stunning animals makes any difference.
She added that she had been surprised at the controversy the issue had caused in the Island.
‘We’ve been doing it for about three weeks.
At the moment we are producing a very small volume of meat.
I think it’s nice that people are interested in the way their food is prepared.
We dispatch our meat to order.
‘I have seen both methods in action and I cannot see the difference.
It’s very much just about preference in my mind.
I’m very surprised at all the controversy.
‘As long as it is quick and the person doing it is capable then whatever method you are going to choose has to be as humane as you can make it,’ she said.
Article posted on 8th July, 2006 - 12.00am
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