Hundreds of students at Oxford University were fuming after learning they had been secretly served Muslim halal meat.
Toff students were not warned their meals came from animals that were slaughtered by having their throats slit without being stunned.
The killing method ordered by Islamic law has been condemned as ”barbarically cruel” by animal rights groups.
But a Freedom of Information request revealed 17 colleges at Oxford University routinely served up meat from animals butchered using the halal method.
Catering firm Field Fresh Farms, which supplies food to the colleges including posh St Catherine’s and Brasenose, confirmed the meat was halal prepared.
General manager Simon Warren told student paper Cherwell the meat came from Mutch Meat Abattoir in Witney, Oxon., up until June last year.
He said: ”We had consistent issues with slaughter procedure at Mutch Meat.
”There were blood spots in the meat, which I understand from butchers means that the animals were distressed prior to being killed.”
Students expressed outrage their food had been halal prepared without their knowledge.
A Brasenose undergraduate said: ”It’s absolutely outrageous. We eat our food on good faith the animal has not undergone undue suffering.
”This is a huge deception, whatever your religious views people have a right to know where their food came from.
”Muslims would expect to be informed if the food on offer was not halal, it is only right for non-Muslims to be treated with the same courtesy.”
Another student told Cherwell: ”I don’t like the idea that we have been eating halal meat without knowing.
”I don’t object to it on principle because it’s part of the Muslim religion and that’s fair enough, but we should have been told so that we could make an informed choice.
”Some people might not want to eat halal meat for ethical reasons, and they should be given the option not to.”
The Farm Animals Welfare Council, which advises the Government committee, has called for a ban on halal meat in Britain.
It found halal slaughter caused the animals to suffer ”such a massive injury results in very significant pain and distress.”
The report went recommended that ”slaughter without pre-stunning is unacceptable and that the Government should repeal the current exemption.”
Field Farm Fresh still supply Oxford colleges, but recently switched suppliers to a company which uses non-halal killing methods.
Image courtesy of bump
