Require stunning before slaughter

AI summary

Petitioners ask Ottawa to end incentives for kosher and halal slaughter, require pre‑bleeding stunning without exception, and label meat by slaughter method. The government responds religious slaughter without stunning is lawful under CFIA oversight.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the Government of Canada The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations state that an animal must be stunned unconscious before being bled (section 141); This requirement does not apply if the animal is being ritually slaughtered in compliance with Judaic or Islamic law (section 144); This religious accommodation, which consists of cutting the jugular veins and carotid arteries and letting the blood flow out while the animal is still conscious, causes the animal additional, pointless suffering; This practice runs counter to the requirement for the humane treatment of animals; The $40M earmarked in the 2025-26 federal budget to support kosher and halal practices places economic pressure on slaughterhouses by encouraging them to submit to kosher and halal ritual slaughtering norms; Canadians’ taxes should not be going toward religious norms and rituals; Favouring companies based on religion constitutes religious discrimination, violating the principle of the separation of religion and state and the principle of state secularism; and The meat labelling regulations deny consumers an opportunity to make informed choices. We, the undersigned, Canadians and Quebeckers, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Stop financially incentivizing halal and kosher practices; 2. Maintain the requirement to stun animals before bleeding them, with no exceptions; and 3. Until this is done, require meat from animals that were slaughtered without being stunned or according to religious norms to be labelled with the method of slaughter.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Signed by The Honourable Heath MacDonald A strong and competitive agricultural and agri-food sector is vital to Canada’s prosperity, creating good jobs, growing the middle class, and bringing high-quality products to the tables of all Canadian consumers regardless of their personal beliefs, faith, or religion. The Government of Canada recognizes the valuable contribution of the beef and veal sectors to the Canadian economy, and this includes the production of halal and kosher products that meet diverse consumer needs. When the food needs of different segments of the population can be met domestically, it reduces reliance on imports and strengthens sector resilience. The Kosher and Halal Investment Program helps facilitate reliable access to certified products in the domestic market, while supporting processors in responding to growing international demand.Agriculture and Argi-Food Canada supports comparable investments across the agricultural and agri-food sector. Initiatives such as the Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program, help strengthen the industry by delivering benefits to farmers, processors, and consumers alike, including improved competitiveness, enhanced market access, and greater confidence in the quality and safety of Canadian agricultural products. The Government of Canada is committed to upholding the constitutional freedom of religion while also protecting animal welfare. The slaughter of food animals in accordance with Judaic (kosher) or Islamic (halal) law is a lawful and regulated activity in Canada. Section 144 of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulationsexpressly permits religious slaughter without stunning. However, the regulations also stipulate that operators of federally inspected establishments must protect animals from avoidable pain and suffering throughout the slaughter process. This applies to all slaughter methods, with or without stunning. Every operator conducting slaughter under a federal licence (including those that conduct religious slaughter without stunning) must have a preventive control plan for animal welfare that demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that they meet all the applicable regulatory requirements at their establishment. The plan must describe the controls in place to protect animals from avoidable pain and suffering from the time of arrival at the establishment. Furthermore, operators can only slaughter animals when Canadian Food Inspection Agency staff are present to verify the proper implementation of animal welfare plans on an ongoing basis. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency provides guidelines for industry to share best practices for animal welfare during religious slaughter of food animals without pre-slaughter stunning to help operators meet humane slaughter requirements. In Canada, the legislative framework for food labelling is designed to protect the health and safety of Canadians and protect consumers from harmful business practices (i.e., fraud). Canadian food labelling laws are found in the Food and Drugs Act, the Food and Drug Regulations, the Safe Food for Canadians Act, and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency enforces Canadian labelling laws and provides guidance on food labelling for industry, which helps food businesses understand and comply with all applicable regulatory requirements. All foods must be labelled in a manner that is not false or misleading. This includes halal or kosher claims, which indicate that food has been certified by an appropriate religious certification body as meeting specific religious standards. If a business would like to voluntarily use a halal or kosher claim on their label, the regulations require that the label, package, or advertisement: include the complete name of the body that certified the food as halal identify the appropriate Rabbi or Rabbinical organization symbol that certified the food as kosher The intent of these regulatory requirements is to provide information to consumers so they can make informed decisions about the food they purchase. Equally, businesses can make a voluntary claim indicating that a meat product is from animals slaughtered using conventional means. Food labels must also include the name and address of the company responsible for the food, such as the manufacturer or importer. Using this information, consumers can contact the company to learn more about the product, including the method of slaughter.