FAQs

At the time we released the first version of the halalfree food code search app, “halal” and “religious slaughter” meant the same thing to most people. Few people considered kosher as it’s high street presence was negligible. In fact, we were active (through our Facebook groups) in highlighting the likelihood of kosher being present in the supermarket food chain as soon as people were becoming more aware of the rapid growth of halal slaughter. Prior to that, most references to kosher were antisemitic in nature. Events such as Selina Scott’s Daily Mail article and Joey Carbstrong’s reporting of alleged abuse during kosher slaughter at Hartshead Meats Ltd has made people increasingly more aware of kosher more than ever before.

The fact remains that (i) there is over ten times more non-stun halal than kosher (FSA Slaughter Sector Survey 2024), (ii) non-stun halal is increasing by 9% each year (FSA 2022, 2024), and (iii) it is halal not kosher that dominates the high street eateries. So the emphasis on halal, though not originally intentional, does reflect the current reality of religious slaughter in the UK.

In hindsight, yes, we would have chosen an alternative name. But halalfree.uk has now become the most trusted “brand” and widely used tool for checking food codes in the UK. We still get the occasional accusation of being “racist” (even though you can’t be racist against a religion), by uniformed individuals, because the name emphases one religion. But mostly people judge us by our actions against all religious slaughter.

Full details can be found here.

We don’t use AI or rely on Google searches. Every food producer has been individually researched and the Risk Status applied is based on the information found. Read the article Food Codes and Statuses.

The reason halalfree.uk exists is because the UK food industry is a mess. Abattoirs, food producers, supermarkets, eateries and the relevant government and regulatory bodies deliberately refuse to fully disclose the information that consumers require and are entitled to know. We know that the general public are deceived and lied to. We do our best to acquire accurate information and we prioritise updating infomation as soon as we are aware of any inaccuracies or omissions. There is always going to be a risk which is why we present the food code checker as a risk assessment (Low, Medium and High); there is never going to be a 100%. Businesses can always lie or choose their words carefully in order to deceive, and it is always possible that the business themselves might be given inaccurate or dishonest information by their suppliers.

We are not supported by or affiliated with any company or organisation. The website and technology is paid for by an individual who is passionate about animal welfare, and a believer in honest, transparent and information food labelling.

Financially, no. The website and installable web app are free. You can contribute by finding places such as restaurants, pubs and takeaways that do not sell religiously slaughtered produce and sharing you findings with the community via our Facebook pages.