Under the law, animals have to be stunned before being killed. “It is a sad day for religious freedom in Europe”, the president of the Conference of European Rabbis says.

The European Jewish Congress says it is “the greatest assault on Jewish religious rights in Belgium since the Nazi occupation.” Denmark and Switzerland already prohibit this kind of slaughter.

Hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of cancer, and red meat probably contributes to the disease, too, according to the World Health Organization.