Sir, – With reference to Peter Cluskey’s article (“Dutch Bill bans halal and kosher slaughter of livestock”, World News, June 29th), Animal Aid recently filmed inside eight randomly chosen British slaughterhouses and found evidence of cruelty in seven of them where animals were kicked, slapped, stamped on, picked up by fleeces and ears, and often improperly stunned before going to the knife while still conscious.
In shechitah(the Jewish method of slaughter), the cut of a razor-sharp knife causes such a rapid loss of blood supply to the brain that the animal becomes unconscious before it has time to feel the cut itself. Even the slightest nick in the knife that might catch on the throat tissues renders the process invalid and the slaughterer is obliged to check his knife regularly to ensure that none are present.
Those who have cut themselves with, for example, a sheet of paper, will know that they only became aware of the wound when they saw the bleeding, not at the time of the incision.
All slaughter methods are aesthetically unappealing but I would suggest that, in view of Animal Aid's findings, those, even non-Jews, who are concerned about the humane treatment of animals should make a point of only purchasing meat from animals which have undergone shechitah. – Yours, etc,