ANIMALS PREVENTION OF CRUELTY

Made 14th March 1995

Laid before Parliament 14th March 1995

Coming into force 1st April 1995

LONDON: HMSO Reprinted 1995

Handling or animals during slaughter

5. The occupier of a slaughterhouse where animals are slaughtered by a religious method and any person engaged in the slaughter of any animal by a religious method shall ensure that

a. no bovine animal is placed in a restraining pen unless the person who is to carry out the slaughter is ready to make the incision immediately the bovine animal is placed in the pen;

b. no animal is shackled or hoisted until the appropriate period referred to in paragraph 7 below has elapsed and unless the animal is unconscious;

c. any sheep or goat, or any calf which is small enough (0 be restrained manually on a cradle or table, is slaughtered only on a cradle or table and that only one such animal is placed on the cradle or table at anyone time; and

d. where the slaughter is carried out in a slaughterhouse, a captive bolt instrument is kept close to the restraining pen, cradle or table for use in case of emergency and is immediately used where the animal is subjected to any avoidable pain suffering or agitation or has any injuries or contusions.

Method of slaughter

6. Any person who slaughters by a religious method any animal which has not been stunned, before bleeding shall

a. before each animal is slaughtered. inspect the knife to be used and ensure that it is not used unless it is undamaged and of sufficient size and sharpness to be capable of being used to slaughter the animal in the manner described in sub-paragraph (b) below; and

b. ensure that each animal is slaughtered by the severance. by rapid, uninterrupted movements of a knife, of both its carotid arteries and both its jugular veins.

Handling animals after slaughter by a religious method

7. The occupier of a slaughterhouse in which animals are slaughtered by a religious method and any person engaged in the slaughter by a religious method of any animal shall ensure that where the animal has not been stunned, or stunned and pithed, before bleeding it is not moved until it is unconscious and in any event not before the expiry of-

a. in the case of any sheep or any goat. a period of not less than 20 seconds and

b. in the case of any bovine animal, a period of not less than 30 seconds after it has been slaughtered in the manner described in paragraph 6 above.

Slaughter by a religious method elsewhere than in a slaughterhouse

8. No person shall slaughter any animal by a religious method or cause or permit any animal to be so slaughtered, elsewhere than in a slaughterhouse unless the slaughter is carried out in the presence of an authorised person.

PART III

PROVISIONS RELATING, TO THE SLAUGHTER OF BIRDS BY A RELIGIOUS METHOD

Slaughter of birds by a religious method

9. Any person who slaughters by a religious method, any bird which has not been stunned before slaughter shall ensure that

a. each bird is slaughtered by the severance. by rapid , and uninterrupted movements of the knife, of its carotid arteries; and

b. the knife to be used for the sl;1lIghlellll[: of the birds is undamaged and of sufficient size and sharpness to enable each bird to be slaughtered in the manner described in sub-paragraph (a) above.

Handling birds after slaughter by a religious method

10. The occupier of a slaughterhouse in which birds are slaughtered by a religious method and any person e a ed in the slaughter of any bird by a religious method shall ensure that, where the bird has not been stunned before bleeding, no further dressing procedure or any electrical stimulation is performed on the bird before it is unconscious and in any event not before the expiry of

a. in the case of a turkey or goose, a period of not less than 2 minutes; and

b. in the case of any other bird, a period of not less than 90 seconds, after it has been slaughtered in the manner described in paragraph 9 above

[Source: Halal Monitoring Committee ]