Halal slaughter requires that the animal is killed from the throat cut and bleeding out process rather than the stunning method.
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.
Halal slaughter is sometimes sensationalized in the media and is viewed as a controversial subject. However, if done properly, researchers have found that Halal slaughter is both safe and humane.
Australian Government Authorised Halal Program
For this reason all cattle, sheep and goats processed in Australia destined for the Middle East market are slaughtered under the Australian Government Supervised Halal Program by accredited Muslims. This program is administered by the Federal Department of Agriculture.
If the conditions for a valid slaughter are fulfilled (regardless of whether it is hand-slaughter or machine-slaughter), the animal would be lawful (halal) to consume.
According to fresh scientific opinion, halal — the method of slaughter that kills the animal with a deep cut across the neck — produces meat that's more tender, stays fresh longer, and is less painful to the animal than say, the jhatka method that involves severing its head in one powerful blow.
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.
The procedures for Halal slaughter can vary from country to country due to the differing interpretations of the Quran. In Australia, halal slaughter in most cases allows for animals to be stunned prior to slaughter using reversible stunning methods.
When you buy Australian beef and lamb, you can be confident you are getting clean, safe and 100% guaranteed Halal meat.
Coles works closely with the certifier, Supreme Islamic Council for Halal Meats in Australia (SICHMA) to ensure that the entire supply chain is certified Halal.
All Shechita (Jewish) and some Halal (Muslim) slaughter involves cutting the animal's throat without stunning them first.
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.
The slaughter process has two stages: Stunning, when performed correctly, causes an animal to lose consciousness, so the animal can't feel pain. The law states that, with few exceptions, all animals must be stunned before 'sticking' (neck cutting) is carried out.
Generally, McDonald's sets its own company standards at or above the very highest of international standards. McDonald's meat patties are produced from 100% pure halal beef with no additives, preservatives or flavor enhancers. The beef patties are prepared and packaged at McDonald's approved meat plants.
- Halal slaughter involves one pass of the blade across the throat of the animal, severing the carotid arteries, jugular vein and trachea. Research (Schultz, Hanover University, Germany) indicates this process involves very little pain. Animals lose consciousness very quickly, yet the heart helps rid the body of blood.
The main reason pork is forbidden for Muslims is because it says in the Holy Quran that some food is allowed, while others are explicitly declared haram, which means forbidden. And pork is one of those forbidden foods.
KFC chicken in Australia is halal-certified by the ANIC, meaning that it is prepared according to Islamic guidelines for slaughter and preparation. However, not all KFC restaurants in Australia are halal-certified, so it's important to do your research and ensure that you are eating at a halal-certified location.
In Australia, the majority of KFC restaurants do not have halal certification. However, some chains serve halal meals/chicken based on people's preferences living around.
But Australian lamb and beef are 100% guaranteed to be Halal. The Australian and New Zealand Meat industry caters to the needs of the different cultures and these overseas packers produce halal meat guaranteed to adhere to Islamic laws.
The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) recently released a report that found the method of controlled atmospheric stunning — where chickens lose consciousness by being exposed to a mixture of gases prior to being slaughtered — was not fit for halal consumption.
Is RSPCA Approved chicken Halal? The RSPCA's Standard for meat chickens has a focus on animal welfare which includes a requirement for stunning prior to slaughter. Pre-slaughter stunning is a standard practice in many Australian abattoirs producing Halal-certified chicken meat.
Australia is renowned for its commitment to the strict standards required for producing Halal meat and meat products and, along with the involvement and expertise of the Islamic organizations, registered to supervise and certify the production processes.
According to Jewish law, the slaughter should be specifically done by a skilled ritual slaughter man (shochet) with a particular knife (chalef) which is very sharp with a straight blade (Fig. 2) that is no less than double the width of the neck of the animal to be slaughtered.
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.
One of the most common myths is that halal meat tastes gamey or has a strange flavor. This is simply not true. Halal meat does not taste any different from non-halal meat, as the taste is determined by the breed of the animal, its diet, and how it is cooked.