Halal Research Council is an organization working globally on Halal certifications in order to cater the needs of food and nutrition agencies and side by side non-food agencies especially in the FMCG sectors.Halal Research organized “One Day Specialized International Workshop on Halal Meat” on 8th October, 2013 at Dubai. The key goal of the International Workshop was to highlight the importance of consuming Halal Meat, Halal Meat export, Halal International Meat Market Potential and development of Halal Meat Concept among the masses.

1. 10/22/13
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2. HALAL SLAUGHTER AND
MEAT QUALITY
Prof. Dr. Javaid Aziz Awan
Halal Resear Council
www.halalrc.org
10/22/13
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3. INTRODUCTION
Meat indispensable for sound human
health
Provides several essential nutrients:
Proteins
Essential amino acids
Mineral elements
Vitamins
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4. INTRODUCTION
Meat subject to spoilage by:
Chemical reactions
Biochemical reactions
Biological agents, including bacteria
and moulds
Responsible for food-borne diseases
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5. INTRODUCTION
Hence meat be produced so as to:
Minimize chemical and biochemical
changes
Prevent chances of microbial
contamination and growth
Preserve quality
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6. Slaughtering
the MuSliM way
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7. SELECTION OF ANIMALS
“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)
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8. SELECTION OF ANIMALS
Islam permits consumption of few animals
and birds only
Strictly prohibited:
Pork
Blood
Carrion
Dead animals
All carnivorous animals
All birds of prey
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9. SELECTION OF ANIMALS
Permitted animals:
All herbivorous, even-toed ruminants
Animal for Halal slaughter be:
Healthy
Free from any apparent or
hidden disease
Must be legally owned
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10. Pre-reQuiSiteS FOr
Slaughter in iSlaM
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11. PRE-REQUISITES FOR SLAUGHTER
Slaughtering of lawful animals and birds
essential to prepare for food purposes
Pre-slaughter management and bleeding
methods regulated by:
religious practices and
legislations
Ahadith by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) guide us
on handling, care and slaughter of animals
These guidelines over 14 centuries old
Modern science just testified implications
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12. PRINCIPLES OF HALAL SLAUGHTER
Islamic method of slaughtering - based on
two important principles:
Tasmiya - invoking name of Allah slaughter being done with His
permission
Tazkiyah - means purification
This in accordance with several
commands given in the Holy Quran and
Ahadith
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13. PRINCIPLESD OF HALAL
SLAUGHTER - TASMIYA
Tasmiya means invoking the name of Allah on
the animal or bird being slaughtered
Allah’s name may be invoked as:
Subhan Allah, or
La illaha illila ho, or
Allah-o-Akbar or
Bismillah Allah-o-Akbar
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14. HALAL SLAUGHTER REQUIREMENTS
Tazkiyah means purification - cleaning
meat of blood
Consumption of blood prohibited in Holy
Scriptures:
Holy Bible - Leviticus 3:17 and 7:26
Holy Quran – Al Anaam - VI:146
All lawful animals and birds contain blood
Blood must be drained as per these
commands
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15. HALAL SLAUGHTER REQUIREMENTS
Slaughtering rules apply to animals and
birds in complete physical control of man
Any animal or bird gone wild and cannot
be reached or caught, falls under
category of ‘game animal’ - different
rituals apply
Camel slaughtered by ‘nahr’ - Involves
piercing throat with sharp, spear-like
instrument while standing
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16. SLAUGHTERING
PROCESS IN ISLAm
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17. ESSENTIALS OF HALAL
SLAUGHTERING
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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18. HALAL SLAUGHTERING - Slaughterer
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
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19. SLAUGHTERING INSTRUMENT
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) advised
companions to use very sharp instrument
Further instructed that sharpening of
knife not be performed in front of slaying
animal – avoid excitement
and nervousness
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20. ANIMAL POSITIONING
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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21. ESSENTIALS OF HALAL
SLAUGHTERING
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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22. REST PRIOR TO SLAUGHTERING
Islam promotes calm and rested animals
prior to slaughtering:
 Not fatigued
 Not excited
 Not nervous
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23. STRESS PRIOR TO SLAUGHTERING
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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24. SCIENTIFIC
EVIDENCE
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25. Stress prior to slaughtering
Generally regarded undesirable that
animal awaiting slaughter view
slaughtering process – causes stress
Animals under stress - lead to:
Undue emotional instability
Fatigue
Anorexia, etc.
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26. Stress prior to slaughteringScientific evidence
Discharge hormones from adrenal
glands:
adrenaline from adrenal medulla
17 hydroxy- and 11-deoxycorticosterones from adrenal cortex
Hormones deplete muscle glycogen and
potassium
Deleterious effects on meat quality
To prevent these adverse effects,
tranquilizers recommended to calm
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27. Rest prior to slaughtering –
Scientific evidence
Modern methods require animal prior to
slaughtering not be subjected to:
Stress
Fatigue
Neurotic
Otherwise excited
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28. Rest prior to slaughtering –
Scientific evidence
Rough handling of animals in preslaughter period adversely affects meat
quality
Result - 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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29. Rest prior to slaughtering –
Scientific evidence
Proper relaxation before slaughtering:
Helps animal to bleed well – better
eating and keeping quality of meat
Builds up muscle glycogen essential to
lower pH of meat
Increases storage life by reducing
chances of microbial growth
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30. Rest prior to slaughtering –
Scientific evidence
Improves taste due to conditioning/
tenderness
Helps delay or reduce fermentation in
stomach
 may otherwise give meat
characteristic smell known as ‘bone
taint’
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31. 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
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32. FEEDING THE ANIMALS – SCIENTIFIC
EVIDENCE
Two schools of thoughts:
Animal to remain hungry - Fasting
Animal be well fed
Fasting animals - Fasting animals before
slaughter recommended in modern
abattoirs
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33. 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 gut
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34. FEEDING THE ANIMALS – SCIENTIFIC
EVIDENCE
Fasted animals - Disadvantages:
Loss in weight of carcass and liver
Lower glycogen reserves in muscles
Reduced gustative quality of meat
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35. FEEDING THE ANIMALS –
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
Well-fed animals:
Glycogen level in muscle reaches higher level
Ensures production of adequate lactic acid
Lowers pH of meat
Such meat has good:
Appearance
Taste
Tenderness
Longer shelf-life
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36. FEEDING THE ANIMALS –
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
Meat spoilage bacteria prefer growth at high
pH levels - around pH 7.0
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
Feeding animals prior to slaughtering often
recommended to produce good quality meat
In some cases sugar solution fed to quickly
restore glycogen level in tissues
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37. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
Conventionally, slaughtering process
consists of two to three different stages
Depends on religious practices and
legislations
Posture of animal and bleeding method
governed by religious and national
legislations
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38. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
Modern method - Stunning
Western countries require animals be
stunned
Stunning widely practiced in Western
abattoirs:
To make animal unconscious for gentle
and painless death
No standard method for all animals under
all conditions
Muslims & Jews not in favour of stunning
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39. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE –
Modern method - Stunning
Stunning Methods:
Pole-axe
Free bullet
Captive bolt pistol
Concussion stunner
Electrical stunning
Carbon dioxide anesthesia
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40. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
Modern method - 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 cut
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41. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE –
Modern method - Stunning
Method of shooting by free bullet - too
dangerous to use in abattoirs
Captive bolt - discarded
Carbon dioxide anesthesia - exact dose
of gas important for specific length of time
does not seem possible with all animals
under all conditions
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42. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE –
Modern method - Stunning
Electrical stunning widely used
increases frequency of ‘blood splash” appearance of small dark red areas in meat
also lowers glycogen reserves of muscle
approximately in 5 % electrically stunned
animals heart failure - animal dead before
incision made
consumers eat carrion and not meat
Objectionable in West, also prohibited by
Holy Scriptures
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43. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE –
Modern method - Stunning
Stunning - outcome of industrial revolution
Initially meant to protect the slaughterer and
other employees
Reality - no relation with mercy on animals
More animals be slaughtered in least time
Industrial revolution - provided mankind with
innumerable benefits
Also inflicted damaging blows on some aspects
of human nutrition
Example - refinement of wheat flour
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44. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
Animal positioning
Islamic method - lay animal on left flank
preferably facing Kibla
Scientific evidence
When laid on left flank, likelihood of more blood
to drain due to body pressure on heart
Laying animal enables it to convulse
 results from contraction of muscles due to
lack of oxygen in brain cells when incision
made in neck
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45. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
Animal positioning - Scientific evidence
During convulsions blood squeezed out of
vessels
Hence 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
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46. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
Bleeding techniques
Islam permits use of sharp 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
believer
makes submission to Allah
life taken out of animal with His
permission
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47. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
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).
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48. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
Bleeding techniques
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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49. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
Bleeding techniques - Islamic method
Cut throat transversely without injuring
spinal cord to severe:
carotid arteries
jugular veins
oesophagus and
trachea
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50. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
3. Bleeding techniques Islamic method
Two requirements in slaughter of animals
for meat:
 animals be dispatched without
unnecessary suffering
bleeding be as complete as possible
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51. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
3. Bleeding techniques – Scientific evidence
When both carotid arteries and veins
severed connection between brain and
body retained via spinal cord
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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52. 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 beheaded
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53. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
3. Bleeding techniques – Scientific evidence
Islamic method ensures maximum blood
drainage from body before completion of
death process
Unconsciousness induced between 3 to
6 seconds
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54. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
Bleeding – Scientific evidence
Blood excellent medium for growth of
microorganisms
Meat retaining more blood than critical level
liable to bacterial spoilage
Blood retention in tissues can cause
unpleasant appearance and discolouration in
meat
Keeping and eating qualities of meat depend,
in part, on removal of maximum blood from
carcass
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55. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
Bleeding techniques – Scientific evidence
To produce good carcass animal be bled
effectively
Heart and respiratory system must
function continuously as long as possible
after severance of blood vessels
This attained most thoroughly when heart
and respiratory functions retained by
maintaining medulla oblongata/spinal cord
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56. SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURE
Bleeding techniques – Scientific evidence
Positioning of animal in Islamic method:
 clearly prevents retraction of carotids
 ensures rapid onset of unconsciousness
and painless death
In Islamic method of slaughtering
maximum blood drained - outranks other
slaughtering techniques
HENCE BETTER QUALITY OF MEAT
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57. 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
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