Definitely not for cows, though electrical stunning is apparently allowed for goats and chickens by the British Halal Council. Halal is an Arabic term in Islam which means permissible, allowed. Animals can also regain consciousness UK Food Standards Agency figures from 2011 suggest 84% of cattle, 81% of sheep and 88% of chickens slaughtered for halal meat were stunned before they died. The RSPCA says slaughter without pre-stunning causes "unnecessary suffering". No, with the single exception of whether or not stunning is used. Q What have governments done about the issue of halal slaughter without pre-stunning? The Halal meat sector is one of the fastest growing in the meat industry in Britain, with supermarket chains scrambling for a share of the market. The animal is hand-slaughtered with a sharp knife. Most Halal slaughterhouses in North America also use some form of stunning before slaughter. This presents challenges for the Muslim consumer who makes a conscious decision to consume only non-stunned Halal meat. “Stunning the animal before slaughter leaves a huge doubt into the halalness of the animal as many could be killed by … Its antonym is Haram. "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." The Food Standards Authority (FSA) estimates about 88pc of animals killed through halal methods are stunned beforehand using techniques acceptable in Islamic law. Denmark announced last year it would ban Halal and Kosher slaughtering practices. Therefore, after careful consideration, HFSAA has decided to approve reversible methods of stunning in the short term for poultry and sheep under strict supervision to ensure that the animal does not die. A significant number of British halal meat-eaters might be persuaded to switch to meat from stunned animals, if they were reassured that some forms of stunning are compatible with halal rules. UK Food Standards Agency figures from 2011 suggest 84% of cattle, 81% of sheep and 88% of chickens slaughtered for halal meat were stunned before they died. You must meet all of the … Online Editors Independentie Halal and kosher meat could be labelled by method of slaughter after Brexit in row over animal cruelty. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. The animal is not stunned before slaughter. If the Halal authorities were to completely reject stunned Halal meat and only accept non-stunned meat, then it would be extremely difficult to find authentic Halal meat in America. What most non-Arabs or non-Muslims do not know about halal meat is that it is healthier and tastes better than the generic meat most Americans consume. The majority of beef slaughterhouses use a pneumatic stunner or a captive bolt pistol to subdue the animal before slaughter. For halal slaughter that includes pre-stunning there is no practical difference in the way the animal is treated. The Halal Food Authority is one the largest of these organisations and says that both poultry and ovine meat can be stunned. For meat to be halal, ... allowing any surplus meat from non-stunned slaughter to be sold on the open market to consumers who are unaware of the type of death that took place. Thus it is known that the Qur’aan does forbid animals that have been stunned if they die as a result of that stunning before being slaughtered properly, because the animal that is stunned has suffered a violent blow, and Allaah has stated in this verse that such an animal is haraam unless it is reached while it is still alive and slaughtered in the proper manner. Q Does halal slaughter without pre-stunning hurt animals more than other forms of slaughter? Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. The stance of HFSAA is that stunning should be avoided as much as possible and Muslims in the long term should move towards removing stunning completely from Halal slaughterhouses. This is further complicated by the fact that authentic, hand slaughtered meat itself is not readily available and the majority of the ‘Halal’ meat in America is processed using doubtful slaughter methods. The Daily Mail claimed that "more than 70% of all New Zealand lamb in supermarkets is halal".. The slaughterers are trained to look for signs of life and to reject animals which do not bleed properly or do not display signs of life. Halal is an Arabic term in Islam which means permissible, allowed. Halal slaughter of animals was conceived on the historical principle that it was one of the more humane methods available. Halal meat has returned to headlines in the past weeks - but what are the facts? Traditional halal meat is killed by hand and must be blessed by the slaughterman. For this reason, many scholars have declared that the act of stunning is extremely disliked and close to being impermissible. This was suggested by the results of a survey published in the journal Vet Record in late June (2020). Comment. There are different types of stunning used for different species including turkeys, chickens, lamb, and cattle. With the issue of halal meat back in the news this week, we answer some of the questions you may have about the practice: Halal is the Arabic word for “lawful” or “permitted”. Stunning is an unacceptable action and the person who stuns will sinful for causing extra pain to the animal. A recent study that was conducted by Bristol University into the Halal meat market attained responses from 250 Muslims into their buying behaviours as well as their Halal meat & poultry preferences. For halal slaughter that includes pre-stunning there is no practical difference in the way the animal is treated. Unstunned halal meat is provided in school meals for some of the 12,000 children in 27 Lancashire schools. they may have other documentation. It's no different from standard abattoir practice. The report concluded that 70% of Muslims prefer to buy meat/poultry that is non stunned. All the meat we sell from these suppliers is stunned before slaughter, the only difference being that Halal meat has received a blessing.” There is currently no domestic UK law (or European regulation) saying halal or kosher meat products must be labelled as such. Above all, unstunned meat should not be served to the wider community. Retailers and food chains insist that while they do not label all the halal meat they sell, it does come from animals which have been pre-stunned, which removes the concerns about cruelty. The law requires animals to be stunned (rendered unconscious) before slaughter. The common factor in all these methods of stunning is causing extra pain to the animal above and beyond the pain experienced during the slaughter itself. Correction appended, July 30. Supermarkets selling halal products say they stun all … In … In halal premium, 37 per cent of sheep and goats, 25 per cent of cattle and 16 per cent of poultry were killed without being stunned first. HFSAA is also dedicated to working in the long term with Muslim businesses and the meat industry to build the infrastructure needed to eliminate stunning once and for all from the Halal slaughter plants. A good percentage of Muslims are not consuming authentic Halal products, are not concerned about Halal, or cannot find authentic Halal products in their cities. Halal-slaughtered animals are 'dying in agony' because of 'Muslim ignorance' over pre-slaughter stunning, say experts Under Islamic law Muslims can only consume meat that is deemed 'halal' unconscious and insensible to pain, before being bled out at slaughter. The presence of halal meat in shops and restaurants has been big news today. A significant number of British Halal meat-eaters might be persuaded to switch to meat from stunned animals, if they were reassured that some forms of stunning are compatible with Halal rules, suggest the results of a survey published in Vet Record this week. The legal status of an animal which has been stunned is dependent on whether the animal was alive at the time of slaughter. Q Do halal slaughterhouses in the UK face different regulations to non-halal ones? Instead of being rendered instantly unconscious when stunned, they will be receiving a painful electric shock that immobilises them before being slaughtered whilst fully conscious. Chickens slaughtered for Halal meat are not being stunned effectively. While Halal meat is well known in the Arab and Muslim World, as well as in Arab American and American Muslim communities, much of the world does not know what it means for meat to be halal. While European law requires animals to be stunned before slaughter, the UK has an exemption in place for halal and kosher killing. There are numerous advantages to non-stunned meat including complete drainage of blood, better consistency of the meat, and no concern of the animal dying due to the stunning. Standard Australian slaughter practice ensures that animals are stunned, i.e. 5. Most other meat shops probably have stunned meat as halal. Some stores claimed last week they only sell products from stunned animals. For example, halal supplier Najma states: "We follow the Islamic values of treating all animals with kindness and compassion. Yet now the RSPCA says that, when compared to methods that involve stunning the animal beforehand, it can cause unnecessary suffering, pain and distress. The vast majority of halal slaughter in Australia (including at export abattoirs) complies with standard slaughter practice where all animals are stunned prior to slaughter. Since the legal status of a stunned animal is dependent on it being alive at the time of slaughter, there is a need to discuss how to ascertain that the animal is alive at the time of death. The majority of halal meat in the UK is pre-stunned. Eblex chairman John Cross described it as a “very important sector”, and said that assurances about the methods of slaughter were “vital for its future success”. A small number of abattoirs in Australia have been granted permission from the relevant State or Territory food authority to conduct religious slaughter without prior stunning – for either Halal or Kosher (Jewish slaughter) purposes. Last year politicians in Britain said they would not be outlawing halal slaughter without pre-stunning despite pressure from activists including the RSPCA, which has in the last week brought a new e-petition for them to do so. Muslims are allowed to eat the meat of the following animals: • Domesticated birds • Camels • Cattle • Sheep • Goats • Deer • Rabbits • Fish That requirement would exclude kosher meat, which cannot be stunned before slaughter. On the other hand, if it is established that the animal was indeed dead at the time of slaughter, such an animal will be unlawful to consume despite the fact that it was slaughtered in accordance to Islamic law. No, with the single exception of whether or not stunning is used. Tesco has since clarified that in the UK, all its Tesco branded halal meat is stunned and the only difference is the prayer before slaughter. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. 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