Halal slaughter remains legal in Denmark

Halal logoLetter from Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Dan Jørgensen

The slaughter of animals according to Islamic precepts remains legal in Denmark, as long as the animal is stunned first. Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Dan Jørgensen stresses that such slaughter is still legal in Denmark.

“To eliminate all doubt, let me make it clear that slaughter according to Islamic precepts is still permitted in Denmark. This is not changing. It is important for the Danish government that everybody in Denmark can purchase meat slaughtered according to Islamic precepts without coming into conflict with their religious beliefs,” says Dan Jørgensen.

A new executive order takes effect today, requiring the stunning of animals before slaughter according to religious precepts. The slaughter of animals according to the halal method remains legal, as long as the animal is stunned first.

“No slaughter without pre-stunning has been registered in Denmark in the last ten years. It is still permitted to import meat slaughtered without pre-stunning. And a very large amount of Danish meat has been – and will continue to be – halal slaughtered, with the animal stunned right before slaughter,” says Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Dan Jørgensen.

With the new executive order, Denmark follows in the wake of a number of European countries with similar regulations requiring the stunning of animals before slaughter.