FSA Food Fact Check: Animal welfare in abattoirs and slaughterhouses

FSA Food Fact Check: Animal welfare in abattoirs and slaughterhouses

Animal welfare is a really important issue. It’s something that comes up a lot in the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) consumer surveys, in the media and conversations online. We understand why.  Animals in our food system should not be exposed to avoidable suffering.

‘Food Fact Check’ is the FSA’s new service to give clear in-depth answers to the questions you’ve been asking to help you check the facts behind claims you’ve seen online.

Here we answer some of the questions being asked about animal welfare in abattoirs and slaughterhouses (the facilities where livestock is slaughtered and processed for food).

How many animals are processed in abattoirs every year?

More than one billion animals are processed in FSA-approved abattoirs, and our teams are there to check their welfare.

Who is responsible for protecting animals in the abattoir?

Food business operators are responsible for animal welfare in abattoirs.

Defra and the Welsh Government hold policy responsibility for animal welfare laws in England and Wales, covering farms, transport and abattoirs.

Abattoir operators are responsible for complying with all animal welfare laws, policies and associated requirements within their facilities.

The FSA enforces animal welfare in abattoirs on behalf of Defra and the Welsh Government, through Official Veterinarians (OVs) operating on-site. In Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) oversees policy and enforcement.

The law sets specific standards which are monitored and enforced by OVs (Official Veterinarians) stationed in abattoirs when they are processing. OVs are independent of the abattoir and are appointed by the FSA (or DAERA in Northern Ireland). They perform daily in-person checks at every stage of slaughter, including the animal’s arrival, handling and slaughter. 

In England and Wales, the FSA also conducts regular audits and inspections of abattoirs, which include animal welfare checks. In addition, the FSA carries out unannounced animal welfare assurance inspections.

How long does an animal stay in the abattoir? 

Animals are assessed shortly after arrival by an OV and must be slaughtered without unnecessary delay.  Before slaughter, abattoir operators must ensure animals are kept comfortable, clean, safe from injury and harmful interactions, have timely access to feed and water, and are not subjected to avoidable fear, pain, or distress.

Do abattoirs and their operatives need a license?

Yes. Abattoirs must be approved by the FSA before they can operate. The approval includes a check to ensure the correct equipment is in place to handle and humanely slaughter animals.  Operatives involved in the handling and slaughter process need a Certificate of Competence (CoC). These are often known as a ‘slaughter certificate’ or ‘slaughter licence.’  CoC’s can be suspended or revoked by the FSA (DAERA in Northern Ireland) where breaches of animal welfare regulations occur that are related to the CoC holder.  

Is CCTV mandatory in abattoirs? 

Yes. CCTV is mandatory in all abattoirs in England and Wales where there are live animals. OVs have access to footage for inspection and enforcement purposes.  In Northern Ireland, DAERA have consulted on the mandatory use of CCTV in all abattoirs and will bring forward changes to legislation as required.

What happens when animal welfare standards are breached? 

A serious breach, such as ineffective stunning of an animal, or repeated welfare breaches may lead to suspension or revocation of a slaughter certificate. An investigation would be held which could subsequently result in a prosecution in the courts, and removal of the abattoir’s approval to operate. Less serious breaches, such as failure to follow written procedures, can trigger informal action such as written warnings or suspension of slaughter certificates until retraining is complete.

Breaches of animal welfare requirements at abattoirs are investigated by the FSA in England and Wales, and by DAERA in Northern Ireland.  

How often are animal welfare standards breached?

Overall, compliance is very high, but breaches do occur. In 2025/26 there were 542 animal welfare breaches in abattoirs in England and Wales affecting 33,679 animals. More than one billion animals were processed, meaning only 0.0032% of animals were affected.

Do animals need to be stunned before slaughter in the UK?    

Animals must be stunned before slaughter unless being slaughtered for consumption by specific religious groups. This is required by law, which includes permitted exemptions from pre-stunning for specific religions.

Most animals in England and Wales – 97% of poultry and 85% of red meat animals – are stunned before slaughter. Is stunning an animal effective at preventing suffering? 

Yes. Stunning is widely recognised as an effective method to prevent pain and distress during slaughter by rendering animals’ unconscious and unable to feel pain.

What stunning methods are used?

The permitted methods of stunning are set out in legislation, and the biennial Slaughter Sector Surveys explain which are most commonly used.

For all stunning methods, the stun must be effective. The law also requires checks to be made that animals do not present any signs of consciousness and sensibility between stunning and death. If animals are not properly stunned, appropriate measures such as a back-up stun must be taken.

What forms of religious slaughter methods use non-stun slaughter?

Muslim (Halal) and Jewish (Shechita) methods are the only permitted methods of non-stun slaughter, and they must take place in an abattoir.

Slaughter by the Halal method can include stunning.  Halal slaughter is performed by a Muslim who holds a certificate for that purpose.  Most Halal meat comes from animals that are stunned before slaughter. The 2024 Slaughter Sector Survey showed, for example, that 88% of Halal meat chickens in England and Wales were stunned prior to slaughter.

Slaughter by the Shechita method is performed by a Jew who is licensed by the Rabbinical Commission and holds a certificate for that purpose.  All kosher meat is from animals slaughtered without stunning.

The slaughter process for meat animals does not differ between religious and non-religious trade. All animals are restrained for slaughter and killed by an incision to the neck to achieve blood loss. The point of difference is whether the animal is stunned unconscious prior to the neck incision.

What differences are there at halal or kosher abattoirs?

There is no specific approval for a halal or kosher abattoirs – this is a myth.  An approved abattoir can operate both stun and non-stun methods of slaughter depending on the requirements of customers, market for the final product, and the slaughter operatives working there.  They must be competent to deliver whatever slaughter method they use, and they must meet the legal requirements for stun or non-stun – this is audited and assured by the FSA.

Has there been an increase in non-stun slaughter? 

There has been a recent increase of non-stun slaughter for some meats. Between 2022 and 2024 non-stun slaughter rates increased from 11% to 15% for all red meat and from 23% to 29% for sheep slaughter.

Non-stun rates for cattle remained relatively stable with a slight increase from 1% to 2%, whereas poultry saw a decrease in non-stun slaughter from 5% to 3%. The FSA’s 2024 Slaughter Sector Survey sets out information for each species. 

The Muslim and Jewish faiths do not permit consumption of pork, so pigs are not slaughtered without stunning.

How can I buy meat based on welfare standards? Is it labelled on the packaging? 

There is no legal requirement for meat to be labelled based on the method of slaughter. Where any information of this nature is provided it must be accurate and must not be misleading to the consumer.

Some businesses choose to display welfare standards on their packaging. You can keep an eye out for food assurance scheme labels like Red Tractor and RSPCA who have certain requirements such as all meat must be from stunned animals. You could also enquire with the retail outlet you are intending to purchase meat from.

How do I report an animal welfare issue?

If you are concerned about the laws governing animal welfare at slaughter and in transport in England, follow this contact page customerhelp@gov.wales. In Wales, contact animalwelfarewales@gov.wales.

If you are concerned about animal welfare on farms, contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency using their contact page, or the Local Authority through the following page. Information from DAERA can be found here.