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EU rules non-stun meat cannot be labelled as organic
The court ruled that non-stun slaughter carried out for religious reasons did not meet the high animal welfare standards required by organic regulations.

ECJ rules that pre-stunning significantly reduces animal suffering 

Kosher and halal meat cannot be labelled as organic if the animal was slaughtered without pre-stunning, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled.

The ruling follows a case which had been taken to the French minister for agriculture by a group called Oeuvre d’Assistance aux Bêtes d’Abattoirs (OABA).

The group argued that the organic farming label should not be applied to products - specifically beef patties - that contained meat from non-stunned animals.

The case was initially rejected by the French courts, but was passed to the ECJ for consideration.  

According to Farmers Weekly, the court ruled that non-stun slaughter carried out for religious reasons did not meet the high animal welfare standards required by organic regulations.

The court is also reported to have said that pre-stunning significantly reduced animal suffering.

Under EU law, all animals - with the exception of those for Jewish and Muslim consumption - must be stunned before slaughter. 

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.