Canadian groups seek court order against rules limiting Kosher meat production

Canadian kosher certifiers and Jewish advocacy groups on Thursday held hearings with the Federal Court in Montreal on the filing of an interlocutory injunction.

Alleging that Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulations were limiting the production of kosher meat, the certifiers and advocacy groups on Thursday held hearings with the court regarding filing the injunction.

During the Wednesday and Thursday hearings, the Kashruth Council of Canada (COR), MK Global Kosher Certification Agency, and The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) advanced an application for a court order on the grounds that the CFIA guidelines infringed on freedom of religion and promoted discriminatory and prejudiced stereotypes and notions about Jews and their faith. CIJA said on Friday that a decision was expected in August.

Defense of kashrut 

The two largest Canadian kosher certifiers reportedly submitted documentation, scientific studies, and independent assessments on how Jewish ritual slaughter meets the “highest standards of animal welfare.”

“It is never possible or prudent to predict the outcome of legal proceedings; the sponsoring parties all felt the hearing went well and that our legal team presented the case persuasively,” CIJA President and CEO Shimon Koffler Fogel updated at the end of the hearings. “While awaiting the court’s decision, CIJA has scheduled a meeting with Lawrence MacAulay, the federal Minister of Agriculture, with the intention of securing his support for renewed discussions with CFIA with the objective of resolving the issue in a collaborative and constructive way,” he said.

 “Shechita [kosher slaughter] is a foundational element of a healthy, dynamic Jewish community, so all efforts must be undertaken to ensure its stability over the coming years.”

Fogel said on Tuesday that Canada’s 400,000 Jewish citizens had a right to access kosher food. COR Managing Director Richard Rabkin said that he was disappointed and frustrated with attempts to engage with CFIA to allow shechita in accordance with recommendations of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Last March, COR, MK, and CIJA issued a joint statement warning that shechita was in “jeopardy” after they had been unable to find a solution with CFIA.

A source familiar with the regulations on kosher and halal (Islamic) slaughter told The Jerusalem Post at the time that a significant number of 18 indicators should be met to be certain that the animal is in an irreversible unconscious state in which it experiences no pain. Meeting many of these indicators created an additional delay of three minutes, limiting kosher slaughterhouses to processing around 20 animals per hour. The Jewish groups had argued that kosher slaughter was humane and that CFIA relied on flawed information.

MK CEO Rabbi Saul Emanuel said on Friday, “The science is unequivocal in support of the way shechita is conducted in Canada. Regrettably, given CFIA’s unjustified and untenable imposition of conditions on shechita, we had no choice but to seek court relief to ensure the survival of kosher meat production in Canada.”