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Shechita UK

Shechita UK was established in 2003 to promote clarity and understanding of Shechita, the Jewish religious humane method of animal slaughter for food and to counter misinformation and popular misconceptions.

Shechita UK is an autonomous cross-communal body that unites representatives from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the National Council of Shechita Boards, the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations and the Campaign for the Protection of Shechita. It incorporates representatives from all the Kashrus Authorities in the UK in a working group of acknowledged experts. It is the core-group responsible for the inception of Shechita EU - the working group established in 2009 to co-ordinate communication with the EC on all aspects of Shechita.

Contact details:-

Media enquiries: Email shechita@theproffice.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 7284 6989

Other enquiries: National Council of Shechita Boards, Elscot House, Arcadia Avenue, London N3 2JU

Email ncsb@shechita.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)800 035 0466  Fax: +44 (0)800 035 0467

Website: www.shechitauk.org

Letter fom Mr Henry Grunwald OBE QC Chairman Shechita UK to Federation Rabbonim

Dear Rabbi

You may recall that I wrote to you towards the end of last year about the latest challenge to Shechita at the European Parliament. I explained at the time that a proposed amendment to food information legislation would require the pejorative labelling of shechted meat, which could have disastrous consequences for the provision of kosher meat in the UK and across Europe. After an intensive lobbying campaign, and some excellent support from the Jewish community, the amendment was rejected by the Council of the European Union. Since that time however, Shechita UK has been at pains to point out that the battle to safeguard shechita is far from over.

I regret to inform you that, once again, two amendments have been tabled which will require the labelling of meat - one which would require the label, "from slaughter without stunning" and another requiring, "slaughtered according to the shechita method". The effect of each of these labels is to single out the Jewish (and indeed Muslim) community.

This is a bill which deals primarily with food nutrition labelling, and we have therefore argued that any endowments about animal slaughter are inappropriate. In any event, if one does consider it appropriate to label meat with the method of slaughter, then one must label the meat with all methods of slaughter, including methods such as, electrocution, captive-bolt-gun, gassing and clubbing. To ignore all of these practices and only inform consumers where animals have been slaughtered according to religious law, is nothing less than direct discimination.

Our deep concern is that we may be unable to challenge these amendments with the same force as we have done before because the Jewish community will feel that this is a tired issue which they're already familiar with and which probably doesn't deserve their attention yet again. I can assure you that we would not be asking for this support it it were not absolutely crucial and that without the efforts of our community, we can expect opponents of Shechita to be successful.

I would therefore urge you to convey to your congregants the urgency of this threat and encourage them once again, to visit www.shechitaUK.org and use the draft letter available there, to write to the British members of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committtee.

If you have any questions about the campaign or the challenges to shechita that we're facing both in Europe and in the UK, please don't hesitate to email shechita@theproffice.com. Many thanks for your continued support at this challenging time.

Yours sincerely

Henry Grunwald OBE QC

Chairman