The hidden face of ritual slaughter

Did you know that the meat you are going to eat for lunch or dinner may have been slaughtered without stunning, according to religious rite ? Probably not, because in many European countries today, the method of slaughter is not indicated on meat packaging.

This lack of transparency is denounced by many animal welfare associations. To be kosher - for Jews - or halal - for Muslims - the animal must not be stunned before dying.

For animal rights activists, this suffering is intolerable, but for supporters of the practice, it pales in comparison to what is tolerated in industrial slaughter.

What if the solution lay in reversible stunning? This method could perhaps reconcile the two camps and reduce animal suffering, while respecting religious rites. An overview of a complex and extremely sensitive issue on which the European Commission may soon legislate.