NVWA closely monitors slaughter without stunning in Netherlands

The Feast of Sacrifice will take place this year from Saturday 9 July to Monday 11 July. In these days 45 slaughterhouses in the Netherlands are allowed to slaughter animals. The animals, mainly sheep, but also goats and cattle, may only be slaughtered in these approved slaughterhouses. In the EU, an animal that is slaughtered before killing must be stunned. If an animal is slaughtered according to religious rites, the animal may be killed without stunning under certain conditions. From 1 January 2018, the rules from the 'Convenant on slaughter without stunning according to religious rites' will apply, as laid down by law in the Animal Keepers Decree. neck cut If a slaughterhouse slaughters without stunning during the Feast of the Sacrifice, a supervisor from the NVWA is continuously present during the killing. The NVWA also supervises that each animal is stunned no later than forty seconds after the neck cut, unless it has been established by a qualified slaughterhouse ...