French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has declared that the rise in Campylobacter and E.coli cases in Europe was “directly related” to an alleged increase in ritual slaughterings, which she called a “sanitary bomb”.
Canadian Parti Québécois (PQ) deputy André Simard has asked the province’s assembly to give a public report on ritual slaughter by 23 March, arguing that halal meat is being sold without consumers’ knowledge.
A relaxed attitude to ritual slaughter in some EU member states has led to systematic slaughtering without stunning, regardless of consumer need, according to EU welfare experts.