Brussels, 16/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 15 July, the Agriculture Council discussed the issue of compulsory labelling to indicate meat from animals slaughtered without stunning. This could be the subject of a report by the European Commission in the context of the European strategy for animal welfare.
The Netherlands, backed by Sweden, called not only for the report but also for implementation measures. Spain pointed out that it was not clear that consumers would welcome such labelling and that it would be first of all appropriate to have an idea of the cost for operators. According to Madrid, it would also be necessary to know to what extent imported meat is concerned.
For now, the EU exemption only concerns cattle killed without stunning for religious reasons. There is, however, suspicion within the EU that animals killed without stunning are making their way into the food chain. (LC/transl.jl)