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ISLAMIC SLAUGHTERING AND MEAT QUALITY

Prof. Dr. Javaid Aziz Awan

Country Director

Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America, Shan Plaza, New Garden Town, Lahore

ifancapk@gmail.com

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INTRODUCTION

Meat indispensable for sound human healthProvides several essential nutrients:

ProteinsAmino acidsMineral elements Vitamins

Meat subject to spoilage by:Chemical reactions Biochemical reactions Biological agents, including bacteria

Responsible for food-borne diseases

INTRODUCTION

Hence meat be produced so as to:Minimize chemical and biochemical changesPrevent chances of bacterial contamination and

growth Preserve quality

Slaughtering of lawful animals and birds essential to prepare for food purposes

Pre-slaughter management and bleeding methods regulated by:religious practices and legislations04/21/23 5

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ESSENTIALS OF HALAL SLAUGHTERING

Islamic method of slaughtering - based on two important principles:Tasmiya - invoking name of Allah - slaughter being

done with His permissionTazkiyah - means purification

This in accordance with several commands given in the Holy Quran

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ESSENTIALS OF HALAL SLAUGHTERING

“Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than God; that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a head long fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been partly eaten by a wild animal, unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form) ….…. (Al Maida - V:4)

The Holy Prophet (pbuh) gave comprehensive guidelines on slaughtering of animals in following Hadith:

“Verily Allah, has prescribed proficiency in all things. Thus, if you kill, kill well; and if you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he slaughters”.

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ESSENTIALS OF HALAL SLAUGHTERING

Process of slaughtering in Islam - consolidated Slaughterer:

must be adult Muslim or one who believes in Holy Scriptures should be in possession of his mental faculties

Lay animal (except camel) on its left flank, preferably facing Kibla

Recite name of Allah:Subhan Allah, or La illaha illila ho, or Allah-o-Akbar or Bismillah Allah-o-Akbar

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ESSENTIALS OF HALAL SLAUGHTERING

Lay animal (except camel) on its left flank, preferably facing Kibla

Recite name of Allah:Subhan Allah, or La illaha illila ho, or Allah-o-Akbar or Bismillah Allah-o-Akbar

Give quick incision using very sharp knife on front of the neck to severe: Wind pipe, Oesophagus, Carotid arteries, Jugular veins

Prohibited - practice of cutting off part of an animal or removing its skin while still alive

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PRE-SLAUGHTER HANDLING OF ANIMALS - 1. Selection of animals

Islam permits consumption of few animals and birds only

Strictly prohibited:PorkBlood Carrion Dead animalsAll carnivorous animals All birds of prey

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1. Selection of animals

Permitted animals:All herbivorous, even-toed ruminants

Animal for Halal slaughter be:Healthy Free from any apparent or

hidden impurities/diseaseMust be legally owned

The Holy Prophet (pbuh) advised companions to use very sharp knife

Further instructed that sharpening of knife not be performed in front of slaying animal

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3. Rest prior to slaughtering

Islam promotes calm and rested animals prior to slaughtering: Not fatigued Not excited Not nervous

Prohibited - any act that causes neurosis or excitement or other abnormal behavioural changes in animal

Prohibited in Islam - Practice of collective slaughtering - other animals do not view their companion being killed Research reveals - practices inhumane

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3. Rest prior to slaughtering – Scientific evidenceModern methods require animal prior to slaughtering

not be subjected to:StressFatigueNeurotic Otherwise excited

Rough handling of animals in pre-slaughter period adversely affects meat qualityResult - dark, firm and dry meat (dark cutting meat)

Fatigued or starved animals Organisms from gut may invade blood stream and

eventually muscles

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3. Rest prior to slaughtering – Scientific evidence

Proper relaxation before slaughtering:Helps animal to bleed wellBuilds up muscle glycogen essential to lower pH of

meatIncreases storage life by reducing chances of

microbial growthImproves taste due to conditioning/ tendernessHelps delay or reduce fermentation in stomach

may otherwise give meat characteristic smell known as ‘bone taint’

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4. Stress prior to slaughtering- Scientifc evidence

Generally regarded undesirable that animal awaiting slaughter view slaughtering process – causes stress

Animals under stress - lead to undue emotional instability and fatigue

Anorexia, etc. Discharge hormones from adrenal glands:adrenaline from adrenal medulla17 hydroxy- and 11-deoxy-corticosterones from

adrenal cortexHormones deplete muscle glycogen and potassiumDeleterious effects on meat quality To prevent these adverse effects, tranquilizers

recommended to calm stocks in transit.

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5. Feeding the animals

Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) advised that animals destined for slaughtering be:well fed provided with drinking water

Preferable that animals have free access to feed and water prior to slaughtering

Two schools of thoughts:Animal to remain hungry - FastingAnimal be well fed

Fasting animals - Fasting animals before slaughter recommended in modern abattoirs

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5. Feeding the animals – Scientific evidence

Fasting animals - Advantages claimed: Bleed better Carcass easier to dress Carcass has brighter appearance Reduced bulk of animal’s stomach Reduced chances of bacterial contamination from

gutFasted animals - Disadvantages:

Loss in weight of carcass and liverLower glycogen reserves in muscles Reduced gustative quality of meat

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5. Feeding the animals – Scientific evidence

Well-fed animals:Glycogen level in muscle reaches higher levelEnsures production of adequate lactic acid Lowers pH of meatSuch meat has good: Appearance, Taste,

Tenderness, Longer shelf-lifeMeat spoilage bacteria prefer growth at high pH levels

- around pH 7.0Any decrease from normal value of about 6.8 reduces

chances of bacterial multiplication, especially food poisoning ones

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5. Feeding the animals – Scientific evidence

Meat of soothed and well-fed animals:pH attains 5.5 or even lower level

Meat of fatigued or neurotic animals:pH varies from 6.5 to 7.0

To produce meat of good keeping and eating quality, often recommended to feed animals prior to slaughtering

In some cases sugar solution fed to quickly restore glycogen level in tissues

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6. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE - Halal

Slaughtering rules apply to animals and birds in complete physical control of man - all domesticated birds and animals (except camel)

Conventionally, slaughtering process consists of two to three different stages

Depends on religious practices and legislationsPosture of animal and bleeding method governed by religious

and national legislationsWestern countries require animals be stunned before

slaughteringStunning widely practiced in Western abattoirs Main objective

make animal unconscious for gentle and painless death No standard method for all animals under all conditions Muslims and Jews not in favour of stunning

6. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE Modern method - 1. Stunning

Stunning effective in having calm animal Stunning may adversely affect quality of carcass

cause injury to medulla oblongata in brain - controls blood circulation and respiration

Desirable these systems continue to function - help pump blood out of carcass when blood vessels cutMethod of shooting by free bullet - too dangerous to use in abattoirs

Captive bolt - discardedCarbon dioxide anesthesia - exact dose of gas

important for specific length of time04/21/23 21

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6. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE – Modern method -1. StunningElectrical stunning widely used

increases frequency of ‘blood splash” - appearance of small dark red areas in meat

also lowers glycogen reserves of muscleapproximately in 5 % electrically stunned animals

heart failure - animal dead before incision madeStunning - outcome of industrial revolutionInitially meant to protect the slaughterer and other

employeesReality - no relation with mercy on animalsMore animals be slaughtered in least time

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SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE 2. Animal positioningIslamic method - lay animal on left flank preferably

facing Kibla

Scientific evidence When laid on left flank, likelihood of more blood to

drain owing to body pressure on heartLaying animal enables it to convulse results from contraction of muscles due to lack of

oxygen in brain cells when incision made in neckDuring convulsions blood squeezed out of vesselsHence more blood drains out

a pre-requisite for meat of superior eating and keeping quality

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SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE 2. Animal positioning -Scientific evidenceDuring convulsions blood squeezed out of vesselsHence more blood drains out

a pre-requisite for meat of superior eating and keeping quality

Evidence suggests more blood lost from sheep in horizontal position than those hung vertically

Islam permits use of knife or any sharp object for bleeding

Incision made in neck with simultaneous recitation of the name of Allah - Takbir

Takbir has religious significance to believermakes submission to Allah

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SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE 3. Bleeding techniques

Slaughtering actually done in the name of Allah“So eat of (meats) on which God’s name has been

pronounced if ye have faith in His Signs” (Al Anaam - Vl:118).

Slaughtering not in name of any person or deity in accordance with following commands:

“Eat not of meats on which God’s name has not been pronounced: that would be impiety. But the evil ones ever inspire their friends to commit end with you if ye were to obey them, ye would indeed be Pagans”

(Vl:121).

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SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE 3. Bleeding techniques - Islamic method

Cut throat transversely without injuring spinal cord to severe carotid arteries, jugular veins, oesophagus and trachea

Two requirements in slaughter of animals for meat: animals be dispatched without unnecessary

sufferingbleeding be as complete as possibleWhen both carotid arteries and veins severed

connection between brain and body retained via spinal cord and brain sends messages to heart and lungs

Heart pumps blood to parts of body drained out from severed blood vessels in neck

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SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE 3. Bleeding techniques – Scientific evidence

Results of a comparison of study on different methods of slaughtering:

Maximum blood lost in Kosher method Jewish method similar to Islamic as regards

physical details Minimum when chicken simply beheadedIslamic method ensures maximum blood drainage

from body before completion of death processUnconsciousness induced between 3 to 6 seconds

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SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE 3. Bleeding – Scientific evidence

Blood excellent medium for growth of microorganismsMeat retaining more blood than critical level liable to bacterial

spoilageBlood retention in tissues can cause unpleasant appearance

and discolouration in meatKeeping and eating qualities of meat depend, in part, on

removal of maximum blood from carcassTo produce good carcass animal be bled effectivelyHeart and respiratory system must function continuously as

long as possible after severance of blood vesselsThis attained most thoroughly when heart and respiratory

functions retained by maintaining medulla oblongata/spinal cord

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SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE 3. Bleeding techniques – Scientific evidence

Positioning of animal in Islamic method: clearly prevents retraction of carotids ensures rapid onset of unconsciousness and

painless deathIn Islamic method of slaughtering maximum

blood drained - outranks other slaughtering techniques

HENCE BETTER QUALITY OF MEAT

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ANIMAL RIGTHTS IN ISLAM

Islam recognized animal rights long before human rights recognized in Western World

Numerous Ahadiths on kindness and mercy towards animals

Holy Prophet (pbuh) advised: Nourish animals well Save animals from hunger and thirst Show kindness to animals Do not hit or mark animal on its face Do not shoot arrows at cattle or bird tied or held up Do not fight animals for sports or recreation Do not unjustly kill even a sparrow or smaller bird

(other than for food)

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EXTRODUCTION

Current scientific data reveals Islamic recommendations for slaughtering animals highly rational

Good physique and health considered basic requirement for selection of food animals

Pre-slaughter management of animals requires they should not be fatigued, excited or neurotic

Proper rest, absence of hunger and thirst and use of sharp knife alleviate pains of death

Thank You

HALAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

Head Office: 192- Ahmad Block, New Garden Town , Lahore, Pakistan 

Ph: +92 42 35913096-8 , Fax: +92 42 35913056E-mail : info@halalrc.org Web: www.halalrc.org