Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-19T05:20:08.391Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The compatibility of modern slaughter techniques with halal slaughter: a review of the aspects of ‘modern’ slaughter methods that divide scholarly opinion within the Muslim community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

A Fuseini ,
SB Wotton ,
PJ Hadley  and
TG Knowles
A Fuseini*
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK AHDB, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2TL, UK
SB Wotton
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK
PJ Hadley
Affiliation:
AHDB, Creech Castle, Taunton, Somerset TA1 2DX, UK
TG Knowles
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The continuous expansion of the global halal meat market has attracted interest from governments, food business operators and the animal and meat science research fraternity. Despite this growing trend, and the enormous economic benefits associated with it, there is a lack of clarity regarding what is ‘authentic’ halal. Many Islamic jurists are reluctant to approve animal slaughter methods that were not practiced at the time of the Prophet of Islam, Mohammed. Others insist that since Islam holds animal welfare in high regard, any modern method of slaughter that is shown to improve animal welfare without compromising on the basic requirements of halal slaughter can be approved for halal production. This paper highlights the aspects of modern slaughter that continues to divide scholarly opinion among Islamic jurists. It also examines the arguments put forward by opponents and proponents regarding the acceptability of modern slaughter techniques for halal slaughter.

Keywords

animal welfarebleeding-outhalal slaughter; mechanical slaughterpre-slaughter stunningthoracic sticking
Type
Articles
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 26 , Issue 3 , August 2017 , pp. 301 - 310
Copyright
© 2017 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Adam 2016 Stunning. http://www.halalhmc.org/userfiles/Stunning.pdfGoogle Scholar
Adzitey, F, Teye, GA and Dinko, MM 2011 Pre- and post-slaughter animal handling by butchers in the Bawku Municipality of the Upper East Region of Ghana. Livestock Research for Rural Development 23: 39. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd23/2/adzi23039.htmGoogle Scholar
Anil, MH 2012 Effects of slaughter method on carcass and meat characteristics in the meat of cattle and sheep. http://www.eblex.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/slaugh-ter_and_meat_quality_feb_2012-final-report.pdfGoogle Scholar
Anil, MH, McKinstry, JL, Wotton, SB, Gregory, NG and Symonds, H 1995 Welfare of calves 2. Increase in vertebral artery blood flow following exsanguination by neck sticking and evaluation of chest sticking as an alternative slaughter method. Meat Science 41: 113–123CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anil, MH, Yesildere, T, Aksu, H, Matur, E, McKinstry, JL, Erdogan, O, Hughes, S and Mason, C 2004 Comparison of reli-gious slaughter of sheep with methods that include pre-slaughter stunning and the lack of differences in exsanguination, packed cell volume and quality parameters. Animal Welfare 13(4): 387–392Google Scholar
Anil, MH, Yesildere, T, Aksu, H, Matur, E, McKinstry, JL, Weaver, HR, Erdogan, O, Hughes, S and Mason, C 2006 Comparison of Halal slaughter with captive bolt stunning and neck cutting in cattle: exsanguination and quality parameters. Animal Welfare 15: 325–330Google Scholar
Annan-Prah, A, Mensah, AA, Akorli, SY, Asare, PT and Kumi-Dei, ID 2012 Slaughterhouses, animal slaughter and slaugh-ter hygiene in Ghana. Journal of Veterinary Advances, 2: 189–198Google Scholar
APPG 2014 All-Party Parliamentary Group on beef and lamb meat slaughtered in accordance with religious rights. An inquiry into the slaughter of lamb and beef in accordance with religious rites. http://www.neilparish.co.uk/sites/www.neilparish.co.uk/files/beef_ and_lamb_appg_-_inquiry_into_meat_slaughtered_in_accor-dance_with_religious_rites.pdfGoogle Scholar
Arif, S and Ahmad, R 2011 Food quality standards in developing quality human capital: an islamic perspective. African Journal of Business Management 5: 12242–12248Google Scholar
ASIDCOM Association 2010 Benefits of religious slaughter with-out stunning for animals and humans. http://asidcom.org/IMG/pdf/ASIDCOM_report-Benefits_of_reli-gious_slaughter.pdfGoogle Scholar
Bager, F, Braggins, TJ, Devine, CE, Graafhuis, AE, Mellor, DJ, Tavener, A and Upsdell, MP 1992 Onset of insensibility at slaughter in calves: effects of electroplectic seizure and exsan-guination on spontaneous electrocortical activity and indices of cerebral metabolism. Research in Veterinary Science 52: 162–173CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blackmore, DK 1979 Non-penetrative percussion stunning of sheep and calves. The Veterinary Record 105: 372–375CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blackmore, DK 1984 Differences in behavior between sheep and cattle during slaughter. Research in Veterinary Science 37: 223–226CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bron, T 2006 Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature. Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Chaudry, MM, Jackson, MA, Hussaini, MM and Riaz, MN 2000 Halal Industrial Production Standards. J and M Food Products Company: Illinois, USAGoogle Scholar
Cook, CJ, Maasland, SA, Devine, CE and Gilbert, KV 1993 Pre-slaughter stunning and its implications on assuring humane-ness. Australian Veterinary Association Conference pp 459–462. 16-19 May 1993, Brisbane, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Daly, CC, Gregory, NG and Wotton, SB 1985 The effect of captive bolt stunning on brain function in cattle and sheep. Proceedings 31st European Meat Research Workers Conference pp 85–87. 25-31 August 1985, Varna, BulgariaGoogle Scholar
Daly, CC, Kallweit, E and Ellendorf, F 1988 Cortical function in cattle during slaughter: conventional captive bolt stunning fol-lowed by exsanguination compared with shechita slaughter. Veterinary Record 122: 325–329CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Demirci, MN, Soon, JM and Wallace, CA 2016 Positioning food safety in Halal assurance. Food Control 70: 257–270CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Department of Halal Certification 2016 Why stunning of ani-mals prior to slaughter cannot be accepted by Muslims? http://halal-certification.ie/halal/why-stunning-is-not-accepted/Google Scholar
DIALREL 2010 Report on good and adverse practices. Animal wel-fare concerns in relation to slaughter practices from the viewpoint of veterinary sciences. http://www.dialrel.eu/images/veterinary-con-cerns.pdfGoogle Scholar
Eat Halal 2013 Mechanical slaughter. http://www.eat-halal.com/?s=mechanical+slaughterGoogle Scholar
EBLEX 2009 The quality meat supply chain for the Muslim consumer. EBLEX video demonstrating the recovery of animals stunned with electri-cal head-only. EBLEX: Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, UKGoogle Scholar
EBLEX 2010 Report on the Halal meat market: Specialist supply chain structures and consumer purchase and consumption profiles in England by the English Beef and Lamb Executive. http://www.qsm-beefandlamb.co.uk/halalGoogle Scholar
Farouk, MM 2013 Advances in the industrial production of Halal and Kosher red meat. Meat Science 95: 805–820CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Farouk, MM, Al-Mazeedi, HM, Sabow, AB, Bekhit, AED, Adeyemi, KD, Sazili, AQ and Ghani, A 2014 Halal and kosher slaughter methods and meat quality: A review. Meat Science 98: 505–519CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frimpong, S, Gebresenbet, G, Bosona, T, Bobobee, E, Aklaku, E and Hamdu, I 2012 Animal supply and logistics activi-ties of abattoir chain in developing countries: The case of Kumasi abattoir, Ghana. Journal of Service Science and Management 5: 20–27CrossRefGoogle Scholar
FSA 2012 Food Standards Agency, results of the 2011 FSA Animal Welfare Survey in Great Britain. Open Board 22 May 2012. http://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/multimedia/pdfs/board/f sa120508.pdfGoogle Scholar
FSA 2015 Food Standards Agency, results of the 2013 FSA Animal Welfare Survey in Great Britain. http://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2013-animal-welfare-survey.pdfGoogle Scholar
Fuseini, A, Knowles, TG, Hadley, PJ and Wotton, SB 2017 The perception and acceptability of pre-slaughter and post-slaugh-ter stunning for Halal production: The views of UK Islamic schol-ars and Halal consumers. Meat Science 123: 143–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2016.09.013CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fuseini, A, Knowles, TG, Lines, JA, Hadley, PJ and Wotton, SB 2016a The stunning and slaughter of cattle within the EU: A review of the current situation with regard to the halal market. Animal Welfare 25: 365–376. https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.25.3.365CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fuseini, A, Knowles, TG, Hadley, PJ and Wotton, SB 2016b Halal stunning and slaughter: Criteria for the assessment of dead animals. Meat Science 119: 132–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2016.04.033CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gibson, T, Johnson, CB, Murrell, JC, Hulls, CM, Mitchinson, SL and Stafford, KJ 2009 Electroencephalographic responses of halothane-anaesthesised calves to slaughter by ventral neck incision without prior stunning. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 57(2): 77–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2009.36882CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gibson, TJ, Dadios, N and Gregory, NG 2015 Effect of neck cut position on time to collapse in halal slaughtered cattle with-out stunning. Meat Science 110: 310–314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2015.03.026CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilbert, KV, Hand, R and Devine, CE 1986 Electrical stunning and beef cattle in New Zealand. Proceedings of the 32nd European meeting of Meat Research Workers pp 117–119. 24-29 August 1986, Ghent, BelgiumGoogle Scholar
Gomes Neves, JE, Paranhos da Costa, MJR, Roca, R, Gregory, NG and Faucitano, L 2009 Comparison of slaughter methods with or without previous stunning on animal welfare and bleeding efficiency in bulls. Journal of Animal Science 87(E2): 6–6Google Scholar
Grandin, T 2010 Auditing animal welfare at slaughter plants. Meat Science 86: 56–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2010.04.022CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grandin, T and Regenstein, JM 1994 Religious slaughter and animal welfare: a discussion for meat scientists. Meat Focus International 3: 115–123Google Scholar
Gregory, NG 2008 Animal welfare at markets and during trans-port and slaughter. Meat Science 80: 2–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2008.05.019CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregory, NG, Fielding, HR, von Wenzlawowicz, M and von Hollenben, K 2010 Time to collapse following slaughter without stunning in cattle. Meat Science 82: 66–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2009.12.005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregory, NG, von Wenzlawowicz, M and von Wenzlawowicz, K 2009 Blood in the respiratory tract during slaughter with and without stunning in cattle. Meat Science 82: 13–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2008.11.021CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gregory, NG, von Wenzlawowicz, M, von Hollenben, K, Fielding, HR, Gibson, TJ, Mirabito, L and Kolesar, R 2012 Complications during shechita and halal slaughter without stun-ning in cattle. Animal Welfare 21: 81–86. https://doi.org/10.7120/096272812X13353700593680CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregory, NG and Wilkins, LJ 1989 Effect of slaughter method on bleeding efficiency in chickens. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 47: 13–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.2740470103CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guerrero-Lagarreta, I and Hui, YH 2010 Handbook of Poultry Science and Technology, Volume 1. Wiley: Hoboken, NJ, USAGoogle Scholar
Halal Consultations Limited (HCL) 2016 http://halalconsul-tations.com/mechanical-killing/Google Scholar
Halal Focus 2014 UK certifiers and scholars invited to conference on mechanical slaughter. http://halalfocus.net/uk-certifiers-and-schol-ars-to-issue-a-statement-forbidding-mechanical-slaughter/Google Scholar
Halal Food Authority (HFA) 2010 Halal Food Authority (HFA) Halal standard, Revised 2010 pp 1-43. Halal Food Authority: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Halal Food Authority (HFA) 2014 Halal Food Authority (HFA) Halal standard, Revised 2014 pp 1-50. Halal Food Authority: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) 2006 Halal slaughter practices exposed, Part 3. http://www.halalhmc.org/userfiles/file/NewsLetters/issue8.pdfGoogle Scholar
Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) 2016 Issues of mechan-ical slaughter and stunning. http://www.halalhmc.org/Issue OfMSandStunning.htmGoogle Scholar
Haque, N and Masri, BA 2011 The principles of animal advoca-cy in Islam: Four integrated ecognitions. Society and Animals 19:279–290. https://doi.org/10.1163/156853011X578938CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hashimi, D, Saifuddeen, M and Salleh, M 2010 A background on Halal industry and principles. International Workshop for Islamic Scholars on Agribiotechnology: Shariah compliance pp 12–20. 1-2 December 2010, Malaysia Biotechnology Information Center (MABIC), Georgetown, MalaysiaGoogle Scholar
Humane Slaughter Act 1958 United States Statutes at Large, containing concurrent resolutions enacted during the second session of the 85th congress of the United States of America. United States Government Printing Office, Washington DC, USAGoogle Scholar
Indonesian Standard MUI HAS 23103 2012 Guidelines of Halal Assurance System Criteria on Slaughterhouses. Majelis Ulama: IndonesiaGoogle Scholar
Jais, AS, Isa, NM and Yusof, WHW 2016 The usage of thoracic sticking method in Halal slaughtering. First Conference on Engineering, Technology and Education 2016 (CETEd2016). 4-5 October 2016, Politeknik Merlimau, Melaka, MalaysiaGoogle Scholar
Katme, M 2012 Stunning of animals before slaughter can cause pain, it is cruel and tortures the animal. http://halalfocus.net/uk-stunning-before-slaughter-can-cause-pain-is-cruel-and-tortures-the-animal/Google Scholar
Khalid, R 2015 Improving slaughter without stunning: Establishing best practice from an Islamic and scientific perspective. Halal Food Authority First Halal Industry Seminar. 30 April 2015, London, UK. http://halalfoodauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Improving-Slaughter-Without-Stunning.pdfGoogle Scholar
Khalid, R, Knowles, TG and Wotton, SB 2015 A comparison of blood loss during Halal slaughter of lambs following traditional religious slaughter without stunning, electric head-only stunning and post-cut electric head-only Stunning. Meat Science 110: 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2015.06.008CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kotula, AW and Helbacka, NV 1966 Blood retained by chick-en carcasses and cut-up parts as influenced by slaughter method. Poultry Science 45: 404–410. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.0450404CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lambooij, E 1980 Concussion stunning of veal calves. Fleischwirtsch 61: 98–100Google Scholar
Leach, TM, Warrington, R and Wotton, SB 1980 Use of a conditioned stimulus to study whether the initiation of electrical pre-slaughter stunning is painful. Meat Science 4: 203–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/0309-1740(80)90049-2CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leigh, P and Delany, M 1987 Use of ‘thoracic stick’ in halal slaughter of bobby calves. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 35: 124–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.1987.35409CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levinger, IM 1976 Physiological and general medical aspects of shechita (reprint). In: Munk, E and Munk, ML (eds) Shechita: Religious, Historical and Scientific Aspects p 214. Gur Aryeh Publications: Jerusalem, IsraelGoogle Scholar
MacLachlan, I 2006 Food & History. Brepols Publishers: Turnhout, BelgiumGoogle Scholar
Malaysian Standard MS1500 2004 Halal Food Production, Preparation, Handling and Storage: General Guidelines pp 1–14. Department of Standards Malaysia: MalaysiaGoogle Scholar
Malaysian Standard MS1500 2009 Halal Food Production, Preparation, Handling, Preparation and Storage: General Guidelines pp 1–13. Department of Standards Malaysia: MalaysiaGoogle Scholar
Masri, BA 1989 Animals in Islam. Athene Trust: UKGoogle Scholar
Masri, BA 2007 Animal Welfare in Islam, Revised Edition. The Islamic Foundation: Leicester, UKGoogle Scholar
Meat Trade Journal 2016 Muslim scholars reject mechanical slaughtering. http://meatinfo.co.uk/news/archivestory.php/aid/10171/UK_Muslim_scholars_reject_mechanical_slaughtering_A0.htmlGoogle Scholar
Mellor, DJ, Gibson, TJ and Johnson, CB 2009 A re-evaluation of the need to stun calves prior to slaughter by ventral neck incision: An introductory review. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 57:74–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2009.36881CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miele, M 2016 Killing animals for food: how science, religion and technologies affect the public debate about religious slaughter. Food Ethics 1: 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41055-016-0004-yCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mulley, RC, Felapau, DF, Flesch, JS and Wiklund, E 2010 Rate of blood loss and timing of exsanguination on prevalence of ecchy-mosis in fallow deer (Dama dama). Meat Science 85: 21–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2009.11.017CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nakyinsige, K, Che Man, YB, Aghwan, ZA, Zulkifli, I, Goh, YM, Abu Bakar, F, Al-Kahtani, HA and Sazili, AQ 2013 Stunning and animal welfare from Islamic and scientific perspectives. Meat Science 95: 352–361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2013.04.006CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
News Halal 2016 Muslim tribunal in UK to rule on mechanical slaughter of chickens. http://newshalal.com/article/273/meat/Muslim-tribunal-in-UK-to-rule-on-mechanical-slaughter-of-chickens#sthash.IwcO3cxd.dpufGoogle Scholar
Orford, F, Ford, EA, Brown, SN, McKinstry, J, Hadley, PJ, Lines, JA, Knowles, TG and Wotton, SB 2016 The evaluation of two commercial electric sheep stunning systems: current applied and the effect on heart function. Animal Welfare 25: 331–337. https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.25.3.331CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quran 2:168; 5:3; 5:88; 6:38,145; 8:69; 17:48Google Scholar
Regenstein, JM, Chaudry, MM and Regenstein, CE 2003 The kosher and halal food laws. Comprehensive Review in Food Science and Food Safety 2: 111–127. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-4337.2003.tb00018.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Riaz, MN and Chaudry, MM 2004 Halal Food Production. CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, USAGoogle Scholar
Robins, A, Pleiter, H, Latter, M and Phillips, CJC 2014 The efficacy of pulsed ultra-high current for the stunning of cattle prior to slaughter. Meat Science 96: 1201–1209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2013.10.030CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schulze, W, Schultze-Petzold, H, Hazem, AS and Gross, R 1978 Experiments for the objectification of pain and conscious-ness during conventional (captive bolt stunning) and religiously mandated (ritual cutting) slaughter procedures for sheep and calves. Deutsche Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 85(2): 62–66Google Scholar
Thomas, K 1984 Man and the Natural World pp 150. Penguin Books Australia Ltd: VIC, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Tirmidhi ‘Al-At'imah’ Hadith: 1480Google Scholar
Velarde, A, Gispert, M, Diestre, A and Manteca, X 2003 Effect of electrical stunning on meat and carcass quality in lambs. Meat Science 63: 35–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0309-1740(02)00049-9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Velarde, A, Ruiz-de-la-Torre, JL, Roselló, C, Fàbrega, E, Diestre, A and Manteca, X 2002 Assessment of return to consciousness after electrical stunning in lambs. Animal Welfare 11: 333–341Google Scholar
Wan Hassan, W 2007 Globalising Halal standards: Issues and challenges. The Halal Journal 1: 38–40Google Scholar
Wotton, SB, Zhang, X, McKinstry, J, Velarde, A and Knowles, TG 2014 The effect of the required current/frequency combinations (EC 1099/2009) on the incidence of cardiac arrest in broilers stunned and slaughtered for the Halal market. PeerJ, e255v1: 1-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.255v1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zivotofsky, AZ and Strous, RD 2012 A perspective on electri-cal stunning of animals: Are there lessons to be learned from human-electro convulsive therapy (ECT)? Meat Science 90: 956–961.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2011.11.039CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed