Meat Labelling

Baroness Hoey Excerpts

Tuesday 13th January 2026 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Hoey]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that labelling on meat states whether the animal was stunned before being killed.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Baroness Hayman of Ullock) (Lab)]

My Lords, the Government encourage the highest standards of animal welfare and slaughter and would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter. As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy, we are also committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food is produced. We will continue working with relevant stakeholders to explore how food labelling can support consumer transparency and promote animal welfare.

[Baroness Hoey (Non-Afl)]

I thank the Minister. I know she is a genuine supporter of good animal welfare, which is why I was surprised that there was not a word in the strategy document that came out about the very cruel and barbaric way millions of animals are killed each year in a non-stun method. A lamb is shackled, pulled along and then has its throat cut, and takes up to nearly two minutes sometimes to die. It is just shocking, and all in the name of a religious belief. Even if this Government will not ban this kind of non-stun slaughter, will they at least commit to make it a legal requirement to label the meat to show whether the animal has been fully stunned? Will she make it a legal requirement for all government institutions, such as schools and hospitals, to label properly so that the public can have a choice and show their horror at the treatment of sentient animals?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

As I said in my Answer, we encourage all animals to be stunned before slaughter. It is what we would prefer as a Government—clearly, as someone who strongly supports animal welfare, it is what I would prefer. We have to recognise the religious sensitivities around this issue, and we are looking at the best way to move forward regarding food labelling.