2. PROPOSED GUIDELINES TO ESTABLISH WORLD HALAL STANDARDS I
.Background The word "Halal" means lawful or permissible and Haram
means prohibited or un fit for Muslim consumption in the Arabic
language and according to the Islamic Sharia (Law). Foods are
classified as Halal for Muslim consumption if they do not contain
pork or pork ingredients or alcohol, and the meats are labeled
Halal if the animals were slaughtered in accordance with Islamic
guidelines. As awareness amongst Muslim consumers around the World
increases, demand grows for authentic Halal foods. Besides meat,
several other issues concerning food have come to the surface. Food
ingredients like flavours, oils, enzymes in cheese, and a variety
of other ingredients have further complicated the picture. Alcohol
and pork derivatives could be embedded in all kind of products that
need to be identified and avoided. This document is an attempt to
standardize the Halal procedures by members of the World Halal
Council for the purpose of adopting and promoting these Halal
Standards among Muslims aroundthe World. 3.
- The Halal supervising-certifying organization must have
officers who have had education and experience in slaughtering
animals/birds and have knowledge in food science and technology in
supervising food processing. These officers would be able to
effectively monitor and communicate with the industry on matters
that are considered sensitive. The organization must be looked upon
as a business partner because they would be able to advise and
assist industry in production, quality control, product flow
systems, sanitizing, packaging and labeling. It is essential for
the certifying organization to have religious advisors or
consultants to advice in matters related to proper slaughtering
procedures and ingredient approval from religious points of view.
These religious advisors, should also be aided by scientific
knowledge to give sound opinions and specify guidelines. The
certifying organization needs to keep a detailed account and data
on production procedures including receiving, processing, packaging
and labeling. Records need to be maintained on the inspectors
visits and findings during such visits. The inspectors and
supervisors should have control over the use of the organization's
names and Halal symbols. If the certifying organization ceases to
certify a plant or a product the organization should cancel the
authorization of the plant's right to use the organizations name
and /or symbol on those products. Consumers also need to be
informed of this change in supervision and certification.
4. Meat & Poultry
- III. Requirements for Halal Meat and Poultry
- Species among land animals including cattle, lambs, goats,
buffalo, deer, camels, rabbits, and giraffes are acceptable animals
for Muslim consumption. Chicken, turkeys, pigeons, ostriches,
geese, swans, ducks and alike are acceptable birds. The acceptable
animals and birds must also be alive and healthy at the time of
slaughter. Un acceptable species including swine from which all
pork and pork products areproduced are considered Haram, and they
are unfit for Muslim consumption. Also un acceptable are all
animals which are considered beasts or birds of prey having talons,
fangs or tusks such as lions, wolves, dogs, cats, tigers, hyenas,
foxes, jackals, elephants and alike. Birds that prey on other
animals and birds or eat the flesh of dead animals are also Haram,
such as: falcons, eagles, vultures, crows, owls, etc. In addition
animals which are considered filthy or dangerous are also Haram
such as domesticated donkeys, mice, rats, poisonous snakes,
scorpions, spiders, lice, etc. The milk and eggs of prohibited
species are similarly prohibited for consumption.
5.
- All fish and seafood including shellfish, crustaceans, shrimps,
crabs, lobsters are
- considered Halal without having to be slaughtered. Excluded are
species which are poisonous, intoxicating or hazardous to human
health.
6.
- 3.Plants and other Species
- All plants and other species such as mushrooms, algae,
bacteria, etc. are considered Halal except those which are
poisonous, intoxicating or hazardous to human health.
7.
- The Slaughtermen should be sane Muslims who understand the
rules and conditions of slaughtering in Islam. They should be
educated and have experience in Halal slaughtering practices and be
certified by the certifying organization. The certifying
organization must ensure that only trained slaughtermen,
supervisors and inspectors be permitted to perform the functions of
slaughtering, supervision and inspection. The person must be strong
enough to assume the responsibilities associated with the task of
slaughter.
8. The Halal Box 9.
- The slaughtering instrument should be sharp, one edge
instrument that cuts by its edge not be its weight, such as knives,
swords, etc. The instrument cannot be a claw, tooth or nail or
un-sharpened object.
10.
- Hand Slaughter:In this method, the animal or bird is
slaughtered by an instrument held directly by the slaughtermans
hand. The slaughterman must be well trained so as not to cause pain
or suffering to the animal.This difficult task requires swiftness
and strength.
11. Slaughtering While Hanging After Stunning 12.
- Mechanical Slaughter:Many Muslim countries now accept
mechanically slaughtered birds. The machine is considered as a tool
and is in the control of the slaughterman. The mechanical
slaughtering machine and the process of slaughtering should be
monitored by a Muslim. The mechanical knife must be a single sharp
blade that produces a sharp cut on the front side of the birds
neck. Any bird that misses the mechanical knife has to be
slaughtered by hand.
13.
- Stunning:Stunning of animals/birds before slaughtering is
intended to render the animals /birds less sensitive to pain,
increase safety and efficiency at the plant and maximize bleed out
of carcasses.Stunning is permissible as long as the animal/ bird
does not die during the process of stunning. Stunning of animals
and birds if necessary should be performed using a stunning method
at a certain strength and duration approved by the health and
Islamic authorities. Gaseous stunning, however, which results in
the death of birds before slaughtering is not acceptable.
14. Electrical Stunner 15.
- E.The Slaughtering Process
- At the time of slaughter, thetasmiyaandtakbir: Bismillah
Alllahu Akbar (by the name of Go,the greatest)must be pronounced
over animals and bird by a trained, religiously-observant Muslim
slaughter man.It is very important to treat animals humanely and
reduce pain and suffering to the animal during slaughtering. The
knife should cut the skin, trachea, esophagus and two major blood
vessels to ensure thorough and quick bleeding of the animal.The
spine of animal/bird should not be severed at the time of
slaughter. There should be enough time for bleeding of animal/bird
until the animal/bird dies completely before scolding and
evisceration.
16. Beef Slaughtering 17. Chicken Slaughtering 18.
- Unless the whole day kill is produced as Halal, carcasses and
wogs must be properly marked and traced throughout evisceration,
processing and packaging so as not to mix the Halal slaughtered
meat with non Halal. All packages and containers must be labeled
with the proper information and with the Halal label/logo of the
certifying organization. Shipments of Halal meat should be
accompanied with a Halal certificate issued by the certifying
organization.
19. Packaging and Labeling 20. Labeled Products 21. Inspection
22.
- The storage place-cooler or freezer should be inspected by the
Muslim inspector and approved for storage of Halal meats, in
addition to the inspection by the health authorities. Containers of
meat should always be placed on clean racks or shelves. The
temperature in the cooler/freezer should be checked during
inspection. It is preferred to store the Halal meats in separate,
designated and labeled areas in the cooler or freezer. Stacking of
Halal meat with non Halal meat especially in cases of fresh
products should not be allowed to avoid contamination. Shipping of
Halal products should be in clean vehicles, preferably
refrigerated. Separation of Halal products from non Halal products
during shipping is not necessary especially if the containers are
well sealed.
23. In The Cooler 24. In The Freezer 25. Storage of Halal
Products 26. Where is the Health Inspection? 27. Refrigerated Truck
28. 29. Transportation !? 30.
- Main Requirements for Halal Slaughter
- 1.Tsmiah by a Muslimwell trained, sane Muslim saying the prayer
ofBismillah Allahu Akbar
- 2. Using a Sharp Instrumentsuch as a single edged and sharp
knife
- 3.Thorough Bleed Outwhich results in maximum draining of blood
out of the carcass
31.
- Other Preferred Conditions for Slaughter:
-
- 1. Animals/birds well rested
- 2. Offering them water before slaughtering
- 3. They should not see blood or othersbeing killed
- 5. Killed without stunning
- 7. Cutting all of the blood vessels-twocarotids arteries and
two jugular veins
32. In The Pins 33.
- CLASSES OF HALAL SLAUGHTER:
- . Udhia Sacrifice of animals during the Hajj /
- Qurbani Sacrifice of animals to fulfill Nathr(Nazr)
- Aqiqah Slaughtering of animals to celebrate birth of achild,
i.e. two lambs for a baby boy and one lambfor a baby girl
- Zabiha Slaughtered with a sharp Knife, by handor
mechanical
- Regular Halal Slaughtered for personal orcommercial uses
34. Mechanical Slaughter 35.
- THE EFFECT OF ELECTRICAL STUNNING ON
- HALAL SLAUGHTERED CHICKENS
36. Stages of Slaughter 37. Hanging 38. Electrical Stunner 39.
Fully Recovered 40. Gaseous Stunning 41. Mechanical Knife 42. Sharp
Clean Cut 43. The Missed Cut By Hand 44. Muslim Slaughterman 45.
46. Into The Scalder 47. Fewer Blood Shots 48.
49. 50.
- Table 1. Blood amounts (in ml) lost from:
- (A) chickens that were not stunned and bled for 60
seconds;
- (B) stunned and bled for 60 seconds;
- (C) not stunned and bled for 5 min. and
- (D) stunned and bled for 5 min.
- The sample size in each category is 10 chickens.
61.6 80.288.391.4 95 90 81 60 89 87 83 66 91 88 78 62 93 89 85
59 92 88 79 63 93 88 79 65 88 84 77 57 90 90 82 61 92 92 78 63 91
87 80 60 D C B A 51. Figure 2. Diagrammatic illustration of the
results of bleed out amounts (averages) in the four categories of
chickens as presented in Table 1. 52.
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bleed-out. A review. Worlds Poultry Science Journal 33: 69-
76.
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Poultry Science. J. 40:151-159.
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damage and rigor mortis development following electrical stunning
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139-143.
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chickens and the influence of slaughter technique on blood loss.
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during killing. Poultry Science 29:271-275.
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gas stunning prior to poultry slaughter Seminar, United Poultry
Concerns, Machipongo, VA, USA.
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stunning and slaughter of poultry. Seminar on line:
www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/animals/pdfs/mohan_pres.pdf -
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Wotton. 1997. Carcass and meat quality in broilers either killed
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24-26.
53. SUMMARY
- The current research data provide proofs that stunning of birds
by a week electric current renders them less sensitive to pain and
causes them to lose more blood upon slaughtering, which are
desirable features from both the health and religion points of
concern. In addition, the meat of stunned birds retain less blood
clots that un stunned ones. The presence of a Muslim person to
operate the machine, performs the blessing and slaughters by hand
the chickens which may escape the knife, all make the mechanical
slaughter a sound Islamic and humane procedure. This is becoming
more important especially if Muslims want to utilize the new
technological advancements in the meat industry to meet the
increasing market demands for Halal meat.