Halal meat slaughtered according to Sharia 'not organic': EU

The European Court of Justice said this is to ensure the highest standards in animal welfare, as the stunning technique is believed to reduce animal suffering. 

Halal slaughter, which typically kills the animal without prior stunning, is permitted by the EU as an exception to the general rule, to allow for freedom of religion.  

French animal welfare association OABA brought the case in 2012, arguing halal beef should not be labelled as organic, after halal meat producer Bionoor secured the organic label on their products.

The case reached the EU Court of Justice on the grounds that the absence of stunning is tantamount to maltreatment, rendering it non-organic.

The ruling comes amid heightened Islamophobia against Muslims in European countries.

"For some there's probably a fear of Islam, but I also think that most of them are animal rights activists who have found themselves a scapegoat," Bionoor owner Hadj Khelil said in an interview for Halal Focus.

"To speak only of halal issues makes it possible to forget that almost all French people eat industrial meat and that whether or not the animals have been stunned, it still ends up killed, most often after being bred in the most awful conditions".

Halal slaughter, as described in Islamic law, specifies numerous conditions for the killing of animals.

These include ensuring the animal is healthy, invoking the name of God and using a sharp knife to cut the throat in one stroke.

Organisations such as the Department of Halal Certification EU describe the method of slaughter as a humane method.

The position of animal rights groups on the other hand categorically deem slaughter without stunning as unacceptable.

The RSPCA states "slaughter without stunning can cause suffering to millions of farm animals".

Halal slaughter and stunning are not mutually exclusive.

In the United Kingdom, 65% of halal meat comes from animals which have been stunned before slaughter.

The Halal Food Authority states stunning is allowed but specified conditions and maintained a policy of "no stunning to kill".

Meanwhile, the ruling of the Halal Monitoring Committee UK has been to disallow stunning in any form, because it is "inhumane to animals and causes unnecessary suffering and distress."

Agencies contributed to this story.