What do you mean by halal meat

It is mentioned in a Hadith that the prayer of a person is rejected by Allah if the food consumed is prohibited haram. In the meat and poultry food industry, animals such as cows, veal, lamb, sheep, goats, turkeys, chickens, ducks, game birds, bison, venison, etc, are considered halal, but they must be prepared according to Islamic laws in order for their meat to be suitable for consumption see below. Fish and seafood with the exception of crocodiles, alligators and frogs are generally acceptable for Muslims but as always check first, as there may be a personal dietary preference or allergy.

The preparation of the fish or seafood should not include alcohol ie batter or wine, or anything considered haram. In cases of necessity, prohibited things may become permissible halal for the duration of the emergency or need, as Islam puts a priority on life over death.

Halal products and production are properly separated and clearly identified from non-halal products. Life is a sacred blessing of God to creation, animals as well as humans. If the life of an animal has to be ended for human survival, then its life should only be taken in the name of God. Muslims cannot consume the meat of animals that are sacrificed in a name other than God.

Any animal slaughtered in the name of a person alive or dead, any deity or idol will be considered as haram and therefore it is not permissible for Muslims to consume that meat. Islamic Slaughter Muslims are only allowed to eat meat that has been prepared according to Islamic law.

Muslims disagree and say that Islamic law on killing animals is designed to reduce the pain and distress that the animal suffers. AFIC has strict rules with regards to Islamic slaughter. These rules state: The slaughterer must be a sane adult Muslim. The slaughterer must say the name of God before making the cut. The animal must be killed by cutting the throat with one continuous motion of a sharp knife.

The UK government says it has no intention of banning religious slaughter. Kosher food complies with Jewish dietary law kashrut , again governing what can and cannot be eaten by those practising the faith.

There are similarities in the method of slaughter in that both require use of a surgically sharp knife and specially-trained slaughtermen. Jewish law strictly forbids the use of stunning and meats are not blessed in the same way. Unlike for halal, kashrut does not require God's name to be said before every slaughter after an initial blessing.

Kashrut forbids the consumption of certain parts of the carcass, including the sciatic nerve and particular fats. Halal also forbids consumption of some carcass parts including the testicles and bladder.

Currently, there is no requirement for halal or kosher meat to be specifically labelled. By ensuring food meets halal criteria, retailers and restaurants are making their products suitable for the UK's Muslim population.

Under HFA guidelines, slaughterhouses must be completely halal compliant. That means they cannot have some areas that meet standards and others which do not. The HFA says many slaughterhouses will have chosen to move to halal processes so they do not lose Muslim customers. The latest census suggests there are 2.

A number of supermarkets including Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Morrisons, and the Co-op all sell halal lamb. Some Waitrose lamb products are given a Halal blessing, but are not supplied separately and are therefore not considered halal on the shelves, the chain said. The Sun newspaper prompted a debate after running a front page reporting that all chicken served at Pizza Express was halal and customers were not being told.

Campaigners and politicians are calling for clearer labelling of halal products to give consumers more information on how their food is prepared. For the majority, no. Between 84 and 90 per cent of animals killed for halal meat in the UK are processed by one of the large number of halal slaughterhouses which do use electric stunning beforehand. This does, however, leave a significant minority of animals which are killed without being stunned first, at one of a reported 12 slaughterhouses in the UK which still perform the more traditional practice, endorsed by Islamic scholars, of keeping the animal conscious when its throat is cut.

Q Do halal slaughterhouses in the UK face different regulations to non-halal ones? No, with the single exception of whether or not stunning is used. For halal slaughter that includes pre-stunning there is no practical difference in the way the animal is treated. While European law requires animals to be stunned before slaughter, the UK has an exemption in place for halal and kosher killing.

In exchange there are actually more regulations in place governing the handling of animals that will not be stunned when slaughtered. Q Does halal slaughter without pre-stunning hurt animals more than other forms of slaughter?

A report from the FAWC said chicken and turkeys were likely to be conscious for up to 20 seconds after a transverse incision is made across their neck.