Plea before Bombay High Court seeks labelling of meat products as 'humane'/ 'non-humane' based on method of slaughter

A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed before the Bombay High Court seeking directions to all airlines, railways, shops and restaurants to compulsorily provide conspicuous labelling on all meat products, as “Humane” and “Non Humane”..Currently, the only information on meat products is whether the meat has been obtained through Halal.According to the petition filed by lawyer Virat Agarwal, Halal and Jhatka are both brutal slaughter procedures that are permissible under Section 28 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. However, those who are not religiously obligated to consume Halal or Jhatka meat should be given the option of consuming humanely killed meat, the plea contended. .It stated that as per the verdict of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir in Siddharth Anand v. State of Jammu and Kashmir, everyone has the freedom to choose their diet, which is enshrined in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution..The plea suggested that consumers be given the option of eating humanely slaughtered meat or non-humanely slaughtered meat by providing information about the method of slaughter through prominent labelling on food items containing meat in meat shops, restaurants, flights, and railways, among other places.The petitioner placed relied on the Supreme Court decision in the case of Indian Soaps & Toiletries Makers Association v. Ozair Husain wherein the top court had held that it is imperative for the State to ensure the availability of the right to the citizens to receive such information. Such information, it suggested, can be given to the extent it is available and possible without affecting fundamental rights of others.However, currently no there is no enforceability with respect to keeping a consumer informed about the mode of slaughter of an animal in order for him to make an informed choice, it was submitted.This, the petitioner contended, is an infringement of Article 21 and Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India, which includes within its ambit the Right to make an informed choice of food..Based on various provisions and notifications of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and other authorities, it was argued that such information is very much available and the same can be passed on to the consumers so that they can make an informed choice..The petitioner also highlighted that he had written to the FSSAI, Mumbai in August 2021 seeking implementation of the Humane and Non Humane (Jhatka/Halal) labelling on meat food products but had received no response prompting the present petition. .The petition, on these grounds, prayed to the court to direct the respondents to compulsorily provide conspicuous labelling on all meat products, as “Humane” and “Non Humane”, depending upon the method of slaughter, in all hotels, supermarkets, restaurants, flights, trains , meat shops, etc.The petition has arraigned Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) as respondents.The matter will be heard by a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice MS Karnik on March 21, 2022.