5 - The concept of "Halal"

Every religion has its own set of rules and beliefs. The concept of Halal is one such aspect of food preparation which is quite stringent and strictly followed. Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted. It is what Sharia allows, and based on the General Guidelines for Use of the Term Halal - ( CAC/ GL 24-1997 1 ) issued by the Secretariat of the Joint Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations ( FAO )/ World Health Organisation Food Standard Programme, halal food is defined as food fulfiling the following conditions:

• Does not consist of or contain anything which is considered to be unlawful;
• Has not been prepared, processed, transported or stored using any appliance or facility that was not free from anything unlawful;
• Has not in the course of preparation, processing, transportation or storage been in direct contact with any food that fails to satisfy the above two conditions;
• In addition, Halal food can be prepared, processed or stored in different sections or lines within the same premises where non-Halal foods are produced, provided that necessary measures are taken to prevent any contact between Halal and non-Halal foods.

Halal foods can also be prepared, processed, transported or stored using facilities that have been previously used for non Halal foods provided that proper cleaning procedures have been observed.

Food of plant origin
• Intoxicating and hazardous plants except where the toxin or hazard can be eliminated during processing

Alcoholic drinks• All forms of intoxicating and hazardous drinks

Food additives
• All food additives derived from the above.

Slaughter

Slaughtering of lawful animals is also regulated. This is explained by the guideline that all lawful land animals should be slaughtered in compliance with the rules laid down in the recommended Code of Hygienic Practice for fresh meat ( CAC/ RCP 11, Rev. 1-1993) and the following requirements:

• The person should be a Muslim who is mentally sound and knowledgeable of slaughtering procedures;
• The animal to be slaughtered should be lawful according to Islamic law;
• Both animal and the slaughterer must face the qibla (or qiblat), the direction in which the Holy Kaaba is located, when slaughtering;
• The animal to be slaughtered should be alive or deemed to be alive at the time of slaughtering;
• The slaughtering device should be sharp and should not be lifted off the animal during the slaughter act;
• The slaughter act should sever the trachea, esophagus and main arteries and veins of the neck region;
• All food should be prepared, processed, packaged, transported and stored in such a manner that it complies with Halal definition mentioned above. In short, production of halal products requires certain raw materials, additives, process, handling and transportation to meet the term of Halal as mentioned. In addition, the food industry should have a good system in order to assure that the products meet this requirement forever and no mistake can be made during the production period.

Interesting article on "Response of Muslim Council of Britain to the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) of UK"
FAWC of UK has came-up with a statement that slaughtering without pre-stunning is unacceptable and that the Government should repeal the current legislation” is misleading and is not based on objective evidence (Para 194 states, it is difficult to measure pain and distress during slaughter process in an objective matter. FAWC ignored the work of Grandin and Prof. Schulze, which can be summarized as follows:-

Grandin finding:

a) Features that keep the animals calm and reduce stress

Applicable to both religious as well as mainstream slaughter after stunning:
• Design features in the slaughter house (lair age, non-slippery flooring, solid walls, non-reflective surfaces, lowering of noise);
• Use of Upright Body and head restraint systems;
• Automated conveyor track;
• If handled gently and calmly, cattle enter voluntarily into the box;
• Cattle will place their heads in a well-designed head restraint.
• Device that is properly operated by a trained operator.

b) Pain perception during incision:

• Use of very sharp knife, at least twice as long as width of the neck;
• Adequately trained, experienced operator;
• Swift cut, avoiding see saw movement;
• Severance of carotid arteries on both sides;
• Reaction ‘no more than a flinch’ when the throat is cut;
• No further reaction of the animal’s body or legs during the throat cut;
• It appears that the animal is not aware that its throat has been cut.

c) Time to loss of sensitivity:

• Calm cattle collapsed quickly (often within 10 to 15s) and have a more rapid onset of insensibility;
• severing both carotid arteries and jugular veins (required by WASK Religious slaughter Regulation significantly reduces the time to loss of sensitivity;
• Using rapid cutting stroke (95%) of calves collapse almost immediately;
• Conversely, a slow knife stroke retained consciousness for up to 30 seconds in up to 30% cattle.

It is clear therefore, that provided attention is given to the design, construction and operation of the slaughterhouse, appropriately trained personnel are employed to handle animals appropriately, religious method is the least painful and most humane method of slaughter. That this evidence is based on work with cattle is further proof that on balance cattle slaughtered without pre-stunning DO NOT experience very significant pain and distress’. It is only appropriate, therefore that the Government rescind their statement that animals (especially cattle) slaughtered without prestunning are likely to experience very significant pain and distress.


Prof. Schulze statement “Islamic method of slaughter is most humane and least painful”

A study carried out by Prof Schulze and colleagues at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Hanover, Germany has shown that EEG recordings in animals slaughtered by the Islamic ‘halal’ method did not show any change from the graph before slaughter during the first 3 seconds - indicating thereby that the animal did not feel any pain. The EEG recordings of the following 3 seconds showed a condition of deep sleep – unconsciousness; due to large quantity of blood gushing out of the body. Following these 6 seconds, the EEG recorded zero level while the ECG showed heart beating and body convulsing – a reflex action of the spinal cord); simultaneous ECG recordings showed rapid pulse. EEG recordings of animals that were subjected to stunning by the captive bolt method were apparently unconscious soon after stunning but the EEG showed severe pain immediately after stunning followed by cardiac arrest.


Mercy Halal Islamic Slaughter Part 1

Mercy Halal Islamic Slaughter Part 2A

Mercy Halal Islamic Slaughter Part 2B

Mercy Halal Islamic Slaughter Part 3

Criteria for use of the term Halal

Under the Islamic Law, all sources of food are lawful except the following sources, including their products and derivatives which are considered unlawful :-

Food of animal origin
• Pigs and boars;
• Dogs, snakes and monkeys;
• Carnivorous animals with claws and fangs such as lion, tiger, bears, similar animals;
• Birds of prey with claws such as eagles, vultures, and other similar birds;
• Pests such as rats, centipedes, scorpions and other similar animals;
• Animals forbidden to be killed in Islam, like ants, bees, and woodpecker birds;
• Animals which are considered generally repulsive such as lice, flies, maggots and other similar animals;
• Animals that live both on land and in water such as frogs, crocodiles and other similar animals;
• Mules and domestic donkeys;
• All poisonous and hazardous aquatic animals;
• Any other animals not slaughtered according to Islamic Law;



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