# The Slaughter of Animals (Humane Conditions) Regulations 1990, Regulation 25: Conditions to be observed in connection with the stunning and slaughter of animals


(1) Any person engaged in slaughtering any animals in a slaughterhouse by a religious method shall—
(a) ensure that each animal is slaughtered by the severance, by rapid, uninterrupted movements of a knife, of both its carotid arteries and both its jugular veins; and
(b) before each animal is slaughtered, inspect the knife to be used and ensure that it is not used unless it is undamaged and of sufficient size and sharpness to be capable of being used to slaughter the animal in the manner described in sub-paragraph (a) above.
(2) No person shall move an animal which is being slaughtered in a slaughterhouse by a religious method before it is unconscious and in any case not before a period of not less than—
(a) 20 seconds in the case of sheep and goats, and
(b) 30 seconds in the case of cattle,
has elapsed after it has been slaughtered in the manner described in paragraph (1)(a) above.
(3) In paragraph (2)(b) above, “cattle” means bulls, cows, heifers, steers and calves.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1990/1242/regulation/25 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/slaughter-of-animals-humane-conditions-regulations-1990/regulation-25
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.