Halal certification in Europe bodies. According to the Halal Food Authority (HFA) in the UK, poultry (chickens, turkeys and ducks) can only be "immobilised" prior to slaughter using electric water baths, while ovine animals (lamb, sheep and goat) can only be stunned using electric tongs. The majority of bovine animals (cattle, bull, cow and ox) in the UK are stunned with a captive-bolt pistol, but this is not permitted by the HFA because of the risk that it may kill the animal. The second position, which emerges from a derogation of the above legislation, allows EU member states to grant slaughterhouses that supply Muslim
Animal welfare in the United Kingdom have been passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly. , the Bill is awaiting royal assent. The amendments give Northern Ireland the toughest penalties for animal cruelty anywhere in the UK or Ireland. The maximum sentence available for cases heard in Magistrates Courts have increased from six to twelve months. The maximum fine has risen from £5,000 to £20,000. In Crown Courts, where more serious cases are heard, the maximum sentence for animal cruelty has increased from two to five years. Animal welfare in the United Kingdom Animal welfare in the United Kingdom relates to the treatment of animals in fields