Halal animals must be slaughtered by a Muslim, who says a blessing, and by hand, not by machine (which is the way many chickens in the U.S. are killed. Once killed, the animal's blood must drain completely, since Muslims who eat Halal do not consume the fresh blood of animals.
Halal food is that which adheres to Islamic law, as defined in the Koran. The Islamic form of slaughtering animals or poultry, dhabiha, involves killing through a cut to the jugular vein, carotid artery and windpipe. Animals must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter and all blood is drained from the carcass.
There is a scientific reason too for the choice of Halal meat by Muslims. Animal's blood contains enzymes, harmful microorganisms & toxins. In Halal, the blood is drained out completely as the animal is still not dead, thus preventing blood clotting in the veins.
- The animal must be allowed to bleed completely out. Blood is not halal. In the event halal meats are not available, many Muslims believe the food of Christians and Jews (kosher) is acceptable.
Allah s.w.t says in the Qur'an, Surah Al-Ma'ida (5:3): " 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 Allah". This clearly insists that blood is prohibited to be consumed by the Muslim as it is considered to be filthy and harmful.
The Gemara (Kerisos 21b) states that if one has a cut in their mouth, the blood may be swallowed. Although human blood is not considered non-kosher, one may not consume human blood because of maris ayin (appearance of wrong doing).
Islamic law requires that all blood be drained from the bird before it is slaughtered. It is to ensure that the meat is pure and impurities-free. Some people also believe emptying the blood eliminates any negative energy or “juice” in the animal.
For Muslims, it is clearly not Halal (or permissible) to include blood as part of one's diet. The Quran clearly states: " 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 Allah".
To be Halal, animals must be raised in a healthy, clean and humane environment. If the animals are in an unclean or abusive environment, they must be removed and nurtured back to a healthy and detoxified state prior to slaughter. This is commonly known as “proper animal welfare”.
Most Halal animals are slaughtered by cutting the major blood vessels, i.e., carotid arteries and jugular veins along with the esophagus and trachea at the neck below the larynx to ensure rapid and complete blood loss.
Minimally painful and complete bleeding is required during halal slaughter, which is difficult to perform in large animals [69]. Previous researchers have indicated an association between the location of the cut and the onset of unconsciousness during slaughter without stunning, such as in halal slaughter.
According to a major halal abattoir based in Somerset, the stun used 'knocks the animal out for around 15-20 seconds. ' Opinion is that halal slaughter takes at least 4 minutes, and hence all that a 'low voltage stun' does is knock out the animal so that its throat can be cut with the least resistance.
Better for your health
Halal meat is prepared by slaughtering the animal in a specific way, which ensures that the animal is healthy and free from disease & pathogen infestation. The meat is also drained of all blood, which reduces the risk of foodborne illnesses.
The blood appearing liquid in your hamburger package is actually not blood, but is myoglobin. Nearly all of the blood is drained from a carcass within the first few minutes of the harvest process. Myoglobin is the heme-iron containing protein found in muscle that stores oxygen and gives meat its color.
Summing up, Muslim buyers can consume kosher products. Jewish buyers cannot do likewise with halal. For many Muslim buyers, non-alcoholic kosher food products are considered halal. This can be a convenient thing in areas with smaller Muslim populations.
Chickens stunned before being slaughtered by the Halal method are hung upside-down by metal shackles around their legs and then pass through an electrified water-bath to be stunned before they are killed by a cut to the throat. A prayer is said before the bird's throat is cut.
Unlike many other forms of livestock, pigs are omnivorous scavengers, eating virtually anything they come across, including carrion and refuse, which was deemed unclean. Furthermore, a Middle Eastern society keeping large stocks of pigs could destroy their ecosystem.
All Shechita (Jewish) and some Halal (Muslim) slaughter involves cutting the animal's throat without stunning them first.
Muslims choose to eat halal food because it meets requirements that they believe make it suitable for consumption. Halal originates from rules set out in the Qur'an and the Hadith (the Prophet Muhammad's example), which have been followed throughout generations of Islamic practice.
Is Wagyu Beef Halal? Wagyu beef can be Halal or Haram. If the cattle is fed alcohol prior to slaughtering then the Wagyu is Haram according to Islam but if the cattle is not fed any kind of alcohol then it is Halal. The Wagyu beef that we sell is 100% halal which means that Muslims can eat Wagyu without any worry.
17:11) – the blood contains life. Thus, blood may not be eaten, even though an animal's flesh may be. Although this does not actually help the animal, it indicates a kind of humanization – a reminder that animals were not created to be consumed, that they were once living creatures.
Muslim butchers who serve Halal meat do not chop the animals head off. Instead, the main jugular vein of the animal is cut, which holds the venous blood in high pressure. Due to the cut, the blood is directed out of the animal's body, which is connected to the atrium of the heart without any irregularity.
Many people think the pink liquid in packaged fresh chicken is blood, but it is mostly water that was absorbed by the chicken during the chilling process. Blood is removed from poultry during slaughter and only a small amount remains in the muscle tissue.
The true test of whether chicken is safely cooked is if it reaches 165 degrees at the center. At that temperature foodborne pathogens quickly die. SOURCES: Bloody Chicken is Safe to Eat.
“Halal is considered healthier because after slaughter, blood is drained from the animal's arteries, ejecting most toxins because the heart continues to pump for a few seconds after slaughter. In jhatka, not all the blood is drained, leaving the meat tougher and drier.”