Fast food shops come under fire from charity

A CHARITY has accused outlets in Rutherglen and Cambuslang of conning customers by not telling them if their meat has been slaughtered on religious grounds.

The charity 1World Scotland, which campaigns against animal abuse, claim they have found two fast food shops deliberately flaunting the law by not making it clear that the meat they sell is Halal.

Instead, the charity claim they are using a religious symbol that will be unknown to many.
However, one of the shops named say that the word Halal is clear on both their take-away and in-shop menu, while the other say they are taking steps to make sure theirs is the same.
Under Muslim law an animal must not be stunned prior to its killing. Its throat is then cut and the animal is hung upside down until it bleeds to death, a process that can take up to eight minutes.

Although UK law stipulates that animals should be stunned before they are culled, animals slaughtered for consumption by religious groups are exempt. However, Trading Standards legislation states that businesses cannot mislead the public.

1World Scotland claim that by using symbols, these shops are contravening the law and have called on South Lanarkshire Council to step in.
John Patrick, organiser of 1World Scotland, said: “The public are deliberately being denied their right to make an informed decision regarding what they are purchasing from these establishments, be it through ethical, moral or religious objections to non-stunned slaughter.

“The obscurity of the labelling is due to the stockists’ knowledge of the huge weight of public opinion against the slaughtering methods involved.”
However, one of the premises named by the charity has hit back, saying they clearly advertise the fact that they use Halal meat.

The Spices shop on Cambuslang’s Hamilton Road was targeted, but when the Reformer went to question them, they had written Halal on their overhead menu, while their take-away menu’s also had Halal printed at the top, along with the symbol.
Shop manager, Mohammad Fiaz, said the religious method was the cleanest way of killing animals for meat: “We clearly have the word ‘Halal’ on the menu.”

The other shop was Tasty Spot on Rutherglen Main Street. Owner Imran Bari said that the council had been in touch about the issue, with only the symbol being visible on their paper menu, although their in-shop menu does say Halal.
He said: “I can confirm all our meat is Halal meat. We have been asked to improve our menu and the next print will have Halal written on it.”

A spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Council said: “This matter has been raised at both a regional and national level and it has been determined that the Food Safety Act 1990 is the principal legislation which should be applied in relation to Halal meat labelling. Food safety legislation is applied by the Environmental Health service.

“We have written to 1World Scotland to advise that it should provide the Environmental Health Service with specific information in relation to premises it regards are not labelling Halal products correctly.”