Ritual slaughter: regulatory responses, consumer choice and labeling strategies.

Religious slaughter has always been a controversial and emotive subject, caught between animal welfare considerations, cultural and human rights issues. There is considerable variation in current practices and the rules regarding religious requirements are still controversial and almost confusing. Similarly, consumer demands and concerns also need to be addressed. This preliminary report shows an overview on the current legal situation in Italy, on religious rules and scientific concerns on this topic; then the concept of a certification/labelling enhancement system is substantiated