What is Halal meat? To some, it may be too simple a question to answer. However, for others, it has become a major issue. What are the conditions for meat to be considered Halal? In many parts of the world, it has become a disputed topic not just for non-Muslims but also among devout followers of Islam.
We will try to provide an analysis of the controversy behind Halal meat and how various stakeholders are handling the issue.
There have been calls for clearer labeling of Halal meat in shops, restaurants, and takeaways. But what is Halal meat? Let us get to the basics.
Related: Indian Halal Meat Rule Change To Impact Local Muslims Economically
What is Halal Meat?
Halal is Arabic for permissible. Halal food is that which adheres to Islamic law, as defined in the Quran.
The Islamic form of slaughtering animals or poultry, dhabiha, involves killing any of the Halal animals through a cut to the jugular vein, carotid artery, and windpipe.
How is Halal Slaughtering Done?
A typical and, perhaps, the simplest method to slaughter a lawful animal the Halal way is to slit the throat of the animal in question while mouthing the words that make the animal Halal or permissible in Islam. The words the slaughterer has to utter while cutting the throat of the animal in question are “Bismillah, Allahu akbar.” In the name of God, Allah is great. These words are called tasmiya or shahada.
Who Could Do the Killing?
The person responsible for slaughtering animals the Halal way must be a Muslim, according to the teachings of Islam.
What Animals Are Considered Halal?
The ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep, all are considered Halal if they are slaughtered the Halal way while still alive, and healthy. You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud. All blood should be drained from the carcass. During the process, a Muslim will recite a dedication, known as tasmiya or shahada as mentioned above.
Related: Are You Really Eating Truly Halal Meat All The Time?
Is Stunning Allowed in Islam?
The answer to this question may be a tricky one. First of all, let us understand the concept of stunning before we go deeper into the wider debate in the west about this issue.
What is Stunning?
It is the process of rendering animals immobile or unconscious, with or without killing the animal, when or immediately before slaughtering them for food.
Within the European Union, most animals are slaughtered after stunning.
Is stunning allowed in Islam? The debate is far from over as mentioned on our pages. There has been a difference of opinion on this issue among religious scholars.
Stunning cannot be used to kill an animal, according to the Halal Food Authority (HFA), a non-profit organization that monitors adherence to Halal principles in the UK. But it can be used if the animal survives and is then killed by using Halal methods, the HFA adds. However, the problem is that a lot of animals die due to the stunning process applied to them before being slaughtered.
How Widespread Is Stunning?
Proponents of the ritual of stunning contend that slaughter without pre-stunning causes “unnecessary suffering to the animals”. The process is commonly practiced in Europe, North America, and many other countries.
Stunning of Livestock
- Introduced in England in 1929 with a mechanically operated stunner device
- Became mandatory in the EU in 1979, but exemptions can be granted for religious slaughter to Jews, Muslims, etc.
- The method enables abattoirs to process animals more quickly
- Mis-stuns involving captive bolts occur “relatively frequently”, a European Food Safety Authority report says – leaving animals conscious and in pain
- Animals can also regain consciousness
UK Food Standards Agency figures from 2011 suggest that 84% of cattle, 81% of sheep, and 88% of chickens slaughtered for Halal meat were stunned before they were slaughtered.
Supermarkets selling Halal products say they stun all animals before they are slaughtered. Tesco says the only difference between the Halal meat it sells and other meat is that it was blessed as it was killed.
Stunning livestock has been mandatory in most parts of the EU since 1979, although member states can grant exemptions for religious slaughter.
Some countries, including Denmark, have opted to ban non-stunning slaughter altogether. The UK government says it has no intention of banning religious slaughter (slaughtering without stunning).
Related: Is Fake Meat Halal?
Is Halal Meat Different from Kosher Meat?
Kosher food complies with Jewish dietary law (kashrut), again governing what can and cannot be eaten by those practicing the faith.
There are similarities in the method of slaughter in Islam and Judaism in that both require the use of a surgically sharp knife and specially-trained slaughtermen. But, Jewish law strictly forbids the use of stunning, and meats are not blessed in the same way.
Unlike Halal, kashrut does not require God’s name to be said before every slaughter after an initial blessing. Kashrut forbids the consumption of certain parts of the carcass, including the sciatic nerve and particular fats.
Halal also forbids the consumption of some carcass parts including the testicles and bladder.
Are There Any Rules for Halal Labeling?
Currently, there is no requirement for Halal or kosher meat to be specifically labeled. However, slaughterhouses need to get Halal certification and label their meat accordingly to satisfy the Halal meat need of their Muslim customers.
Related: Is Lab-Grown Meat Halal?
How do Retailers, and Restaurants Sell Halal Meat?
Retailers in non-Muslim majority countries sell Halal meat which is certified by a reputed Halal certification body. In the same way, restaurants in these countries specifically mention and prove ( if and when needed) that they offer Halal-certified meat dishes to their Muslim customers.
Many slaughterhouses in Australia, the UK, the US, Brazil, and many other countries chose to slaughter all their animals in the Halal way to capture the Halal market globally. Thanks to the practice, they have captured Muslim markets all over the world.
The latest census suggests that there are around 3 million Muslims in the UK, with a spending power estimated in the region of £20bn annually. Islam has become the second-largest religion in the country. So, it is a great business for restaurants and retailers to offer Halal meat to their customers.
Is Halal Meat Available Everywhere?
The global Muslim population is now estimated at around 2 billion and it is increasing. Generally speaking, the spending power of Muslim consumers is also steadily increasing, albeit at varying rates. To capture the growing global Halal meat market, slaughterhouses in several countries have sought Halal meat certification from local Halal certification organizations.
Major supermarkets in most advanced economies now have started offering certified Halal meat to their Muslim customers.
What is the State of the Global Halal Meat Industry?
The demand for Halal meat is growing steadily. To meet the surge in demand, slaughterhouses have been getting their meat Halal-certified. However, now and then, we hear stories about fraudulent Halal meat practices by some slaughterhouses.
With the widespread availability of Halal meat, Halal certification bodies see a thriving business opportunity that requires constant monitoring by these organizations so that Muslim customers can keep on getting truly halal-certified meat that is tayyib, clean and healthy as well.
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