Lymm MP Esther McVey, who represents the Tatton constituency, has introduced a Ten Minute Rule Bill in Parliament calling for all meat products to be clearly labelled if they are halal or kosher.
Ms McVey said the proposal is not about banning halal or kosher meat, but about animal welfare, transparency in the meat industry, and giving consumers the information they need to make informed choices.
She said: “It is important consumers have such information so they can make an informed choice about what they are buying.
“Currently consumers do not have that information, and many are purchasing and consuming halal and kosher meat without their knowledge and agreement.”
Halal and kosher slaughter methods require the animal’s throat to be slit.
In halal slaughter, the animal is usually stunned beforehand, although not always.
Kosher slaughter, known as shechita, does not allow pre-stunning.
Ms McVey said: “An individual concerned about animal welfare would want to know if the animal has been stunned prior to slaughter.
“Likewise, there are many religious groups who want to know what they are consuming too and if meat has been blessed by another religion.
“In all these cases clear labelling is essential to make an informed choice.”
Current law requires animals to be stunned before slaughter except for religious reasons, but there is no legal requirement for meat to be labelled according to the slaughter method.
Government figures show that in 2024, an estimated 214.6 million out of 1.035 billion animals processed in English and Welsh slaughterhouses were slaughtered for halal meat.
The total amount of meat produced by non-stun slaughter is roughly four times greater than the combined Muslim and Jewish populations in the UK.
Ms McVey said it was a ‘missed opportunity’ that the Government did not include labelling requirements in its recent Animal Welfare Strategy.
She said: “In August 2022, the (then Conservative Government’s) call for evidence on labelling for animal welfare found that, almost 99 per cent of respondents said method of slaughter labelling should be introduced.
“And research from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board shows that clear halal certification is stated as important for 92 per cent of halal consumers.
“So isn’t it time we updated our regulations and demanded our meat was clearly and fully labelled, so we know what we are buying and eating?
“Surely that is what consumer choice is all about, and I would wager that the overwhelming majority of animal lovers in the UK expect the House of Commons to support my Bill.”
The Bill is now being prepared and will return to Parliament on July 10.