Call for Subway to end 'cruel' slaughter
Stop Halal killing without pre-stunning

78 Subway stores across the UK are selling Halal meat from unstunned animals it has emerged. Animals killed in this way have their throats cut whilst fully conscious; bleeding to death in abject terror and pain. The suffering and welfare implications of it are so extreme that the Government's own welfare advisory body - the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) - have now twice asked for it to be banned.

However, there is an important distinction: the majority of Halal meat in the UK comes from animals that have been stunned - which, in essence, means it is no different from the slaughter of any animal in the UK. Despite this, Subway are selling meat from unstunned animals, imported from Ireland, even though there is widespread availability of Halal meat from animals that have been stunned within the UK.

Although no slaughter is humane - and many animals regain consciousness during the slaughtering process - pre-stunning undeniably causes less suffering on the whole.

Viva! continues to ask people to reject all slaughter and move towards a vegan diet, but please take this opportunity to persuade Subway to wash their hands of this horrific practice once and for all.

Below is a pre-prepared email, but please feel free to write your own polite letter to Subway and take a stand against slaughter without pre-stunning.

Address:

SUBWAY® - UK & Ireland Head Office
Subway Realty Limited
Chaston House
Mill Court
Hinton Way
Great Shelford
Cambridgeshire
CB22 5LD

Email: info@subway.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0)1223 550820
 

"Dear Subway

As a customer of yours I am very concerned that you are selling meat from unstunned animals in your 78 Halal accredited outlets across the UK, and I ask you to seriously reconsider this move.

I, of course, support the principle of multiculturalism but also believe that slaughter without pre-stunning should not be tolerated for any reason. In fact, slaughter without pre-stunning is illegal in the UK - the only exception is for so-called religious slaughter. It is my understanding that the Halal meat you are selling is accredited by the Islamic Foundation of Ireland, which, according to their website, are against the stunning of animals prior to slaughter.

However, animals can still be stunned and declared Halal. Indeed, the Halal Food Authority (HFA), supports slaughter with pre-stunning in the UK. But slaughter without pre-stunning means that hundreds of thousands of animals each year face the intense suffering of having their throats cut while conscious. The government's own advisory body on animal welfare - FAWC (Farm Animal Welfare Council) - described this as "unacceptable" and recommended that slaughter without pre-stunning was banned in the UK. It said: "Such a massive injury would result in significant pain and distress." It re-iterated this within the last couple of months when it published its report on poultry at slaughter. This report stated that birds killed in this manner are likely to remain conscious for 20 seconds or more after their necks are cut. FAWC said that they were in agreement with prevailing international scientific consensus that slaughter without pre-stunning causes pain and distress.  

I oppose all slaughter, and believe that the only true way to end the suffering of animals is to stop eating them. Very many Muslims share these concerns and embrace vegetarianism. 

However, if you insist on serving Halal meat at your stores, please move over to HFA accredited meat from pre-stunned animals. Otherwise I will be boycotting all Subway stores across the UK, and encourage my friends to do likewise.

Yours sincerely"