Australia: Call for meat slaughter method labelling

AUSTRALIAN meat should be labelled according to the slaughtering techniques, a Liberal senator has told parliament.

South Australian senator Corey Bernardi today told the Senate that many people had been appalled by footage of Australian cattle being processed at Indonesian slaughterhouses.

Some might have ethical problems with eating meat slaughtered according to religious rituals in Australia such as Halal or Kosher meat.

Senator Bernardi said he wanted labels on packaging to explain whether meat had been slaughtered according to rituals and whether stun guns were used.

“(Consumers) are not made aware of the method of killing,” he said.

Senator Bernardi said the unwitting consumer could potentially eat meat subjected to religious rituals without knowing.

He said he had spoken to church leaders about the idea and they had not objected.