Consumers wanted information, but the real force of this vote was the breadth of the demand behind it: Yes won by more than eleven to one. The floor was not simply asking for a religious designation; it was pressing for visibility over animal welfare, hidden supply chains and the exemptions that currently leave shoppers guessing.
The best-respected Yes case framed labelling as ordinary consumer choice: “A similar choice should be available regarding animal welfare.” Another highly rated voice called it “a no brainer”, arguing that people who want the product and those who do not would both be able to identify it more readily, without materially adding to existing labelling burdens.
The No side’s strongest argument did not defend secrecy so much as challenge the category. Its most-respected voice said the methods were “all so similar” and questioned the campaign, while another No voter argued that labelling should focus on “stunned or not stunned” rather than religious identity. That distinction was echoed in replies from Yes voters, including one who cited abattoir surveys and said most animals processed through halal slaughterhouses are pre-stunned.
The debate then ran beyond the question, with several Yes voters calling for bans or restrictions rather than disclosure, and insisting kosher slaughter must be treated alongside halal. One voice said, “Better that halal food not be sold, period”; another warned that focusing only on halal could look biased, while the room also corrected claims about the legality of serving halal food to non-Muslims. The result therefore belonged to transparency, but parts of the argument were plainly about animal welfare and religious exemptions more broadly.
A rout for labelling, with the most serious disagreement reserved for what the label should actually say.
23 Opinions
Correct, accurate labelling is important to everyone. Many supermarkets are selling unlabelled halal meat to people who do not wish to eat it. I’d simplify the whole issue and ban halal slaughter , it is barbaric and has no place here.
Labelling should be focused on the method of pre-slaughter (stunned or not stunned) instead of focused on religion.
100% yes. But focusing purely on Halal and ignoring Kosher fails because it is perceived as bias against Islam. Many people want the right to choose based on animal welfare concerns. Some religions, such as Sikhism, ban the eating of religiously or ritually slaughtered meat. The current regulations are heavily in favour of some minority groups. I'd like better labelling on the method of slaughter for all meat products. Including the method used to slaughter pigs.
There is so much cruelty in meat, dairy and egg production. Consumers who do what they can to purchase this stuff need to be able to make informed choices
YES But I'd go further & not only ban halal slaughter but also ban Kosher as well. There's no place in modern British society for deliberate cruelty in the name of made up religions beliefs. To ban one without the other is pointless.
Meat slaughtered for religious exception, legally should only be sold to those within that religion. The law around the sale of Halal meat should be enforced. Therefore the sale should be restricted and monitored, not just labelled
Labelling needs to extend beyond that 80% of halal meat sold in the UK IS STUNNED. 100% of kosher is NOT STUNNED. does a customer currently know wether a product is stunned or not when doing a weekly shop ... no Would adding the word halal tell them if the animal was stunned .. no Adding STUNNED and NON STUNNED would be even better labelling for customers to make informed decisions (like eggs already are either free range or from caged hen
Like the red tractor on food Halal and kosher should have the animal with its throat cut so we know!
It is not possible to tell whether a cut of meat has been ritually slaughtered or not and people will tend to buy what they can afford rather than its mode of death. Therefore Halal should be labelled to inform the consumer who can then purchase according to their concience.
We should have zero Halal Food. It is illegal in UK for Halal meat to be served to non Muslims yet the meat industry flouts this and a lot of supermarkets sell meat slaughtered in this barbaric manner - yet don’t tell the consumer. Same for restaurant. No tolerance for an intolerant & evil form of butchery