Abstract
Muslims make up 25% of the world population and according to their religion, Islam; their diet is restricted. The Quran outlines specific regulations regarding halal meat. Muslims follow strictly the requirement that all meat meant for their consumption must be halal. The market trends in the world need to understand halal meat in order to increase sales in areas occupied by Muslims.
Muslims are not allowed to buy meat which is not halal as this also contravenes the teachings of the Quran. Whenever a consumer who is a Muslim visits a supermarket, the first thing he or she checks in the meat products is whether the products have the halal mark or not. This paper describes the methods used to verify halal products and the process followed to ensure meat is halal. The paper also seeks to establish why the Muslim religion and culture insists on the consumption of halal meat by its members.
Introduction
The religion of Muslims guides them through rules known as Shariah laws. Islamic law is outlined in the Holy Quran and Hadith which is the practice recommended by Prophet Muhammad. Eating for Muslims is considered as part of worship and every Muslim is required by the Shariah law to eat halal meat.
The general guidelines for halal were adopted by a subsidiary body of Food and Agricultural Organization and World Health Organization known as Codex Alimentarius Commission. Its purpose was to protect consumers’ health and ensure global food trade was done fairly especially in reference to the requirements for halal.All halal meat has to be labeled as so.
The economic worth of the Halal food market
Muslims and non-Muslims consider halal food to be an important part of their diet. There exists a great business opportunity for non-Muslims to supply halal meat in order for them to familiarize themselves with demand and supply chains of halal meat.
Globally, Muslims are estimated to be over 1.5 billion. Their population is expected to grow at a rate of 3% annually. Halal meat is also consumed by Non-Muslims. For example, Mieder & Alan, (1994), reported that in the UK, there are 2 million Muslims yet there are 6 million consumers of halal meat.
Consumption of halal meat has increased over the years mainly due to increased income of Muslims globally. Many Muslims have immigrated into non-Muslim countries and due to their increased awareness of halal meat; the consumption of halal meat is expected to grow significantly over the years. Businessmen who sell all types of food products should understand halal meat’s requirements.
The requirements for halal meat production is specified in the Holy Quran in which Muslims are informed of the type of food which is prohibited and are thus instructed to eat only halal food. All land animals are apart from those belonging to the cat family like lions, cheeteahs and pigs are considered halal.
Animals with tusks and claws are considered as haram and must not be eaten. Haram animals according to the Hanafi School include but are not limited to;- wolf,hyena,cat,monkey,scorpion,leopard,tiger,cheetah,lion,leopard,bear,swine or pig, squirrel, hedgehog, snake, tortoise turtle, dog, crab ,jackal, donkey, lizard, fox, crocodile, weasel, elephant ,falcon, hawk, kite,bat,vulture,mouse,rat,all insects like mosquitoes, fly, wasp, spider and beetle.
Muslims are allowed to eat meat from the following animals:-Camel, goat, sheep, buffalo, stag (deer),rabbit, cow (including mountain cow),fish (of all types, including prawns according to those who consider prawns to be a form of fish).
Other animals that are considered halal include the nightingale, quail, parrot, francolin,locust,partridge (heavy-bodied small-winged South American game bird),lark (North American yellow-breasted songbirds)sparrow,goose,ostrich,dove,pigeon,stork,rooster/chicken,peacock and starling. Slaughtering of land animals must be carried out as detailed out in the Shariah law.
An animal must be alive before it is slaughtered. This act should be done by a Muslim who is sane and also above 18 years of age. The activity should be executed by cutting the esophagus in one cut while saying the words “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar” which means are words that praise God for providing food.
For poultry, scalding should be done only after confirming that the animal is dead and when there is no more bleeding. This idea also applies during the dressing of carcass for ruminants. This action also applies to all the tools used for slaughter. In case there is need to change an abattoir from “non-halal” to halal, a special cleansing ceremony should be performed.
This ritual is known as dibagh.For dibagh to be seen as completed, the equipment used for slaughter should be washed seven times using pure water mixed with soil so that is devoid of any impurities. This includes transportation, packaging and even display. These rules should be followed as outlined in the Shariah law.
The casings for halal products must be made from collagen, cellulose and intestines from halal animals that have been slaughtered according to the Shariah law. The package for halal meat should be non-hazardous to health and each container should be marked legibly to show that it is a halal product whose quality has been checked.
The ingredients used in the processing of halal meat must be halal. All ingredients derived from forbidden sources like animals which are not slaughtered according to Shariah law are not halal. This fact also applies to blood and blood related ingredients. Many food ingredients have been declared as haram (prohibited) by Islamic authorities and these include bacon or natural bacon flavor.
Gelatin is considered as edible in respect to EEC’s Codex Alimentarius and is an animal product. Food products that are made from pork fat which are described as haram comprise sodium stearoyl lactylate, mono and diglycerides and lard.
Enzymes derived from haram animals, grain or plant based ingredients with pig based carrier such as beta carotene (pig Gelatin) and butylated hydroxyl anisole or butylated hydroxyl toulene (pig based carrier), alcohol, blood plasma and blood plasma enzymes should not be eaten according to Ezquerro, A. (2010).
Certain ingredients such as yeast’s extract from brewer’s yeast and cochineal or carmine color have been classified as doubtful by Islamic authorities. Avoiding them is highly encouraged. Prophet Muhammad in a hadith narrated by Bukhari advised the believers to avoid doubtful things. “Both halal and haram things are clear but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them.
Halal Certification
Due to the upsurge in Muslim populations around the world, the Muslim Consumer Group has emerged. It verifies food products to ensure they meet dhabiha standards.
They certify by labeling the halal consumer products using the H-MCG symbol. Halal certification confirms that the contents and methods of processing have been tested and found to be fit for human consumption by a certifying body. Companies which export products to countries inhabited by Muslims are permitted by a Halal certifier. An example of a halal certifier is Islamic Services of America.
Principle of quality assurance
There is risk of contamination of halal meat within the meat chain. A good example of this contamination is when halal meat comes in contact with pork, which is haram. It is difficult for the consumer to verify the status of halal meat before purchase.
To safeguard against this potential risk, there was need for quality assurance hence the establishment of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).This the body mandated to ensure maintenance of quality assurance within the meat chain. This body is governed by seven principles as listed below:
HCP1: Halal Animal
HCP2: Animal Welfare Slaughter Process
HCP3: Stunning
HCP4: Knife
HCP5: Slaughter Person
HCP6: Slaughter Method
HCP7: Invocation
Gilbert, P. (2009), suggested a HACCP approach with a good number of halal control points considered to be critical at the time of slaughtering the animal by ensuring that the animal is halal. Gilbert, P. (2009), suggested that the entire meat chain should be controlled and should not just dwell at the abattoir only.
It should also focus on risks associated with the origin of the animal at the farm where it was kept and also the mode of transportation to the slaughterhouse to ensure that there is no contamination whatsoever with haram animals. The following are the halal critical control points (HCPs).
Halal breeding – HCP1
The species of the animal must be acceptable. Haram species cannot become halal just because they have been slaughtered using halal principles. In the Hadith, according to Abu-Dawud, it is recorded that “Allah does not allow eating any animal, which eats filthy food and drinks its own milk animals that feed on meat or animal protein are not to be eaten”. Halal and haram meat should not come into contact with each other at all stages of the halal meat chain.
Animal welfare – HCP2
According to Islam, animals must be handled in a humane manner not only during slaughter but even before the slaughter; they should be fed and given water. The knife should not be sharpened in view of the animal. Slaughtering one animal should be done in the absence of other animals. To quote the Hadith Shaddid b. Aus said: ‘‘when you slaughter an animal, do so in a humane way” (Ezquerro, 2010).
Stunning – HCP3
According to Corey, M.S et al. (2010), the Shariah law allows stunning; so long as stunning does not kill the animal, Muslims are discouraged from consuming blood and carcasses.They are encouraged to handle animals in a humane manner before, during and after slaughter.
Knife – HCP4
The knife to be used for slaughtering any animal should have the appropriate levels of sharpness to prevent the animal from excessive and painful bleeding before it dies. The size of the knife should be of the same size to that of animal’s neck.
Slaughter person – HCP5
The individual meant to conduct the actual the act of slaughtering the animal must be a person who is considered forthright and of sound mind. The individual can either be a Muslim or a Christian. Muslims differ on the interpretation of this law. One class of Muslims believes that the meat which is slaughtered by them is not allowed unless they mention the name of God during the slaughtering.
Certain other Muslims believe that the meat slaughtered by Jews or Christians, halal is fit for human consumption since it is allowed by the Quran. They also believe that the prophet Muhammad used to eat meat prepared by Jews or Christians but while eating such meat, Muslims must mention the name of God.
Slaughter method – HCP6
The activity of slaughtering the animal is conducted by cutting the front side of the neck. The animal should face Mecca before slaughtering. Ruminants and poultry should be slaughtered by hand. It has become common in Western countries to perform machine slaughter and this practice has gained acceptance by Muslims around the world.
Invocation – HCP7
During slaughter, the name of Allah must be invoked. The usual formula is ‘‘In the name of Allah; Allah is the greatest’’. This is done for the following reasons:-1.To remind the slaughterer to observe the prescribed requirements and to show that the animal is being dedicated to God (Blanton & Jaccard, 2008). 2. To confirm that the animal is being slaughtered for food and not for leisure.
Packaging and labeling – HCP8
A reputable supervisory body ought to supervise the packaging and labeling of all halal meat. The body therefore becomes an independent control to ensure adherence to quality assurance. The certification should be done for each meat product.
Retailing – HCP9
To prevent contamination of halal meat with haram meat, proper care must be exercised from the abattoir to the retail location. The Muslim religion and culture is thus seen to be elaborative and clear on what is halal and haram given the review of the two subjects in the paper.
References
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