The court ruled that non-stun slaughter carried out for religious reasons did not meet the high animal welfare standards required by organic regulations.

ECJ rules that pre-stunning significantly reduces animal suffering 

Kosher and halal meat cannot be labelled as organic if the animal was slaughtered without pre-stunning, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled.

The ruling follows a case which had been taken to the French minister for agriculture by a group called Oeuvre d’Assistance aux Bêtes d’Abattoirs (OABA).

The group argued that the organic farming label should not be applied to products - specifically beef patties - that contained meat from non-stunned animals.

The case was initially rejected by the French courts, but was passed to the ECJ for consideration.  

According to Farmers Weekly, the court ruled that non-stun slaughter carried out for religious reasons did not meet the high animal welfare standards required by organic regulations.

The court is also reported to have said that pre-stunning significantly reduced animal suffering.

Under EU law, all animals - with the exception of those for Jewish and Muslim consumption - must be stunned before slaughter.