A Closer Look at Halal Meat: From Farm to Fork

Dedication

This book is for my father, Haji Maula Bakhash,

the finest man I have ever known. He worked hard to make halal living from his bookstore for the area school students.

Acknowledgements

I wish to acknowledge with gratitude the support from Dr. Munsif Khan, Mr. Javid Bakhat Chaudhry, Dr. Saeed Ahmad Qureshi, Dr. Mohammad Kazam, Dr. Ghulam Miran Chaudhry, Dr. Shabbir Chohan, Dr. Syed Eqbal Hasan, Dr. Iffaaz Salahudeen, Mr. Haq Nawaz Khan, and Mr. Ghulam Malik. Special thanks to Dr. Abdul Rauf Mir, a member of the ISNA Development Foundation’s Founders Committee, for his valuable suggestions. Last but not least, I am grateful to Dr. Almas Jakda, Dr. Ahmed Jakda, Tariq Abdullah, and Safia Abdullah for their invaluable contributions; without their help this book would not have been possible.

Disclaimer

The purpose of this book is to create awareness among Islamic scholars and consumers of halal meat products so that they can play their part in improving the unregulated halal certification system. All information included in this book is based on my personal experience and gathered from various sources which have been researched to the best of my ability and acknowledged where possible; every care has been taken to ensure the information contained in this book is accurate at the time of publication. Yet mistakes are possible. Therefore, this book does not represent nor it should be relied upon as an official position of the government agencies which are mentioned in this book. Readers should contact the relevant agency for the most up-to-date policies and regulations. The information contained in this book is intended as guidance only and recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or publisher who also disclaims any liability in any legal or other form incurred in connection with the use of information provided in this book.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Disclaimer

Prologue

Integrity Of The Halal Meat Label

PART 1

Halal Meat

Chapter 1: Global Meat Industry

Chapter 2: Halal And Tayyib

Chapter 3: Islamic Teachings Regarding Humane Treatment Of Animals

Chapter 4: Halal Meat Industry

Chapter 5: Halal Certification Organizations

PART 2

Pre-Slaughter

Chapter 6: Animal Feed Industry

Chapter 7: Halal Animals

Chapter 8: From Foraging To Factory Farming

Chapter 9: United States Department Of Agriculture’s Food Safety And Inspection Service (USDA, FSIS)

Chapter 10: Hazard Analysis And Critical Control Point (HACCP)

Chapter 11: Maintaining Halal Chain From Farm To Slaughter Establishment

PART 3

Conventional and Ritual Slaughter

Chapter 12: Conventional Slaughter

Chapter 13: Ritual Slaughter

PART 4

Post-Slaughter

Chapter 14: Carcass Cutting & Fabrication

Chapter 15: Meat Processing

Chapter 16: Packaging And Labeling

Chapter 17: Meat Import And Export

Chapter 18: Consumer Complaints & Recall Of Meat Products

Chapter 19: Issues Related To Halal Meat

Chapter 20: How The Halal Meat-Related Issues Can Be Addressed

About the Author

Copyright

Prologue

Integrity Of The Halal Meat Label

What we consume becomes a part of the body, and can affect us physically as well as spiritually. The concept of halal (lawful) and haram (unlawful) holds great significance in Islam. In this materialistic world it is easy to be unconcerned with the lawful or unlawful nature of our financial, emotional, and physical needs such as earning money, forming relationships with others, or consuming food. Yet belief in Islam requires one to strive for halal practices - including the consumption of meat - by following Islamic dietary laws. These dietary laws require the consumption of halal and tayyib (wholesome) food. While eating meat is not required in Islam, those who understand the concepts of halal and haram consume meat that has been produced in accordance with Islamic requirements. So, for our prayers to be accepted, it is important that halal should be verified as authentically halal, and not haram.

Nowadays, pleasingly packaged fresh, frozen, and ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products claiming to be halal are not only conveniently available in the refrigerated food sections of ethnic grocery stores, but also in some major supermarkets and wholesale stores in certain geographical areas of the United States and around the world. This is a remarkable shift from butchering one’s own animal for halal meat only 20-25 years ago in the U.S. At present various types of halal-certified meat and poultry products are found in many grocery stores, and halal food is served in restaurants, airlines, schools, and other institutions. Obviously, consumers of halal meat like this convenience very much. However, there are cautionary stories circulating about differences and disagreements between standards from halal certification organizations and slaughter practices. There is no central authority to regulate the halal certification system. Finally, reports of fraud and abuse of the halal label have made halal meat a controversial subject. Thus, it is difficult for consumers to know which meat is halal and which meat is not halal (Withnall, 2014).

At the same time, a rising world population has led to the increased demand for meat and meat by-products worldwide, including the increased demand for halal meat products in Muslim countries. Instead of developing their own meat industry to meet this increased demand, Muslim nations have resorted to importing meat products from other countries. This demand has led to the massive development of halal meat product export businesses from countries including the United States, European Union, Australia, and New Zealand to the Muslim nations. Some may wonder why these countries produce and export this halal meat when they have relatively very few halal meat consumers in their own countries. The reason is profit. Meat export is a profitable business and some countries have the resources and technical know-how to mass-produce meat at less cost. This is favorable to meat traders, wholesalers, and distributors worldwide, because consumers - even those in developed countries - basically want cheap meat. As a result, the meat industry has become very competitive. Only those companies who can consistently produce and supply meat at the lowest possible price can become the world leaders in the export of meat.

The world leaders in the meat export business have several characteristics in common. They exhibit a competitive spirit and are highly integrated. They generally use bigger and better agricultural machinery to produce more grains that are converted into formulated feed which can expedite the growth of animals in a shorter period of time. They use science, technology, and better management practices for livestock and poultry production. They own feed mills, hatcheries, feedlots, and modern state-of-the-art giant slaughter and processing establishments with fast-moving production lines. They take steps to keep the production lines moving at the maximum allowable speed without stopping. They harvest minute quantities of meat tissues which cannot be removed by trimming with a hand-held knife. They convert meat scraps which were previously used for animal food into meat products such as lean finely textured beef - also referred as the Pink Slime. Nothing is wasted anymore, not even the establishment’s waste, blood, feathers, and inedible and condemned products. Condemned and dead animals are rendered and converted into tallow, blood meal, and meat and bone meal which are then fed back to food animals. All of this is done to produce more meat in less time at the least cost.

The meat and poultry products exported to Muslim nations from the West are mostly produced in the same establishments where non-halal meat products are routinely produced. However, when an order for halal meat is filled, it is done under the supervision of a Muslim private firm called a halal certification organization which certifies that the product carrying its logo has been prepared in accordance with Islamic requirements. Since there is no central organization with authority to regulate the halal certification system, many halal certification organizations have emerged worldwide, each with its own standards for the production of halal meat. There is no common global definition of halal, there are no agreed upon control procedures, and there is no traceability. The controls implemented by individual halal certification organizations vary. Control can range from an annual audit of the slaughterhouse or an occasional analysis for porcine materials at the certified establishment, to checking each production with permanent controls in place and on-going independent auditing of the company that manufactures the halal product. As a result, some organizations just manage the paperwork of the halal certification while others having real controls in place with trained controllers in the field (ASIDCOM, 2009).

Halal certification organizations play an important role in meeting the requirement of the Muslim importing countries that a certificate be attached with each shipment of meat product stating that the product has been produced in accordance with Islamic requirements. In the past, imams of mosques issued these certificates. While imams can still do this, the production of some halal meat products, such as various types of sausage and thermally processed commercially sterile meat and poultry products in cans, pouches, and lunch bowls, goes beyond reciting the Tasmiya and slaughtering an animal. Therefore, the certification organizations are required to be knowledgeable about livestock farming, meat science and technology, and operations of the slaughtering and processing establishments.

Most people do not have the opportunity to go inside an animal slaughtering and processing plant. They may visit a small slaughtering establishment where animals are slaughtered for personal use or for Qurbani on Eid-ul-Adha under the provision of custom exempt. However, this is not the topic under discussion in this book. The issue at hand is commercial slaughter and processing plants with complex machinery and equipment whose operations are not understood by the general public. As a result, consumers of halal meat must rely on trusting the halal logo applied by the halal certification organizations.

The problem is that not all halal certification organizations have the sufficient resources to complete the halal monitoring and verification tasks. Some halal certification organizations properly conduct a review of the establishment before accrediting it for the production of halal meat products. Some have their monitors in the establishments, but some do not. Many resources are needed to monitor and verify all of the steps involved through animal farming, meat production, packaging, labeling, storage, and distribution in the domestic and international markets. For example, significant resources are needed just to monitor and verify that the identity of halal meat and its by-products is maintained throughout all phases of production. Halal meat and halal by-products must be prevented from commingling with non-halal products at the slaughtering establishment, cold storage warehouses, and during transportation within the country and around the globe. A system is needed to monitor and verify that the Islamic requirements are being met through all phases of production. Thus, it is clear that the current system of halal certification of meat and poultry products is inadequate, and can affect the integrity of the halal label.

The halal certification organizations have been making some improvements. For example, in the past the halal certification process literally started and ended at the slaughter establishments. Basically, the halal certification process was limited to the slaughtering of animals by Muslim slaughterers, and very little if any attention was given as to where and how those animals were raised and what they were fed. After slaughtering, it was left up to the slaughtering establishments to maintain the identity and segregation of the halal carcasses and by-products to prevent commingling with non-halal products through all phases of production, packaging, labeling, storage, and transportation from one establishment to another within the same country or between continents.

In contrast, nowadays some producers of halal meat and poultry products claim that their meat and poultry products are produced under Islamic requirements from farm to table. Some producers have started reporting that they only slaughter those animals that are not fed animal feed containing animal by-products, etc. This is a step in the right direction, and consumers of halal meat tend to appreciate this improvement. Yet the producers of halal meat and poultry products need to do more to support their claim that the meat has been prepared under Islamic requirements. It is not enough to say that the products with their company’s logo are halal. Instead, they should be held accountable for supporting their claims. Yet this accountability is missing under the present halal certification system.

In order to show that a product has been produced in accordance with Islamic requirements, the certifying company needs to describe what those Islamic requirements are. When the requirements are known, only then can one determine that those requirements have been met by the producing establishment. The producing establishment must also elaborate on how those requirements have been met. To ensure that requirements have been met, the producing establishment should have written procedures covering all aspects of a halal product’s production system with supporting documents. Finally, an audit needs to be conducted by an independent third party to verify that the establishment is in fact following the procedures that are described on their written programs, websites, and promotional literature. If this seems overly thorough, consider that this is exactly what producers of non-halal meat products do when they advertise certain qualities of their products such as the Never Ever 3 program which claims no use of antibiotics, no use of growth promotants, and no use of animal by-products in their meat products, never ever.

Therefore, there is an immediate need to review the existing halal meat certification system and make the necessary improvements to prevent this system from becoming further eroded lest our inaction and our differences and disagreements about the halal meat standards and practices allow the halal method of slaughtering animals to become so weak, especially in the West, that we may eventually become unable to differentiate between halal and non-halal meat. Before that happens, we need to improve the halal certification system so that we can consume various types of halal meat products that are available in the grocery stores and served in hotels, restaurants, institutions, and airlines with confidence. We need to realize that all followers of Islam, including the Islamic scholars, are faced with this dilemma at home and while traveling, for example, for the performance of Hajj and Umrah (Sound Vision, 2002).

Certain national and international organizations are doing some work in this regard, but their efforts are mostly geared towards the economic aspect of the halal industry as a whole and not specifically on halal meat. While there may be discussion about improving the integrity of the halal label on meat products, not much progress has been made in establishing global uniform halal meat standards, improving the halal certification system, or settling the controversy until the introduction of UAE’s halal mark and its related standards. Clearly, the halal mark is a vital development. But it could also propel the UAE into the position of brand leader in the global certification business. Halal food imports into Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are projected to reach $53.1 billion by 2020 and this is only one slice of the global halal food industry (National Editorial, 2015).

Under these circumstances, Islamic scholars have an essential role in resolving this issue because production of halal meat is indeed a religious matter. Islamic scholars know that Islam is a complete way of life. Islam is not limited by a specific time period nor by a particular region or country or nation. Instead, Islam is a complete way of life for all times and for all humanity. Islam is integral to all aspects of human life; as such, there is no issue that cannot be guided by Islamic teachings. Islamic scholars also know that with the passage of time, new situations and issues continuously surface. It is the responsibility of Islamic scholars to analyze, reflect, and provide their opinion.

It is high time that the Islamic jurists across the globe come together and make a concerted effort to address the halal meat controversy in accordance with the principles of Ijtehad established in the religion. In doing so, they should specify what slaughter-related method or methods meet the Islamic requirements. In the past some scholars have discussed this issue in detail on individual level (Shafi, 2002; Al Qardawi, 1960), and there may have been an effort involving scholars from around the world; however, what we need is a collective enforceable decision on a global level. That would require the establishment of a halal regulatory authority. This is discussed in more detail in Chapter 20.

The major issues of controversy are the stunning of animals to render them unconscious prior to their slaughter and the methods employed in the slaughter of animals. The remaining issues related to halal meat are organizational in nature and can be addressed by the office of the halal regulatory authority. The above two measures can help end the halal meat controversy and establish confidence among our youth that the religion of Islam is a complete way of life for all times to come.

I wrote this book because much of the information available in the market on halal meat is generally about the lucrative opportunities in the halal meat business worldwide. Very little information is available, if any, about what is preventing Muslim countries from meeting their own needs for halal meat products. Muslims have been left to rely heavily on imports of halal meat products from other countries, and risk the effects of the overcrowded conditions inherent in the factory farming system under which most of the animals are raised. Additional challenges include the type of feed animals are fed in the factory farms and in the feedlots, divergent methods used for slaughtering livestock and poultry, and production of halal meat products in the same plants where non-halal meat and poultry products are regularly manufactured. These emerging issues related to the halal meat industry demand a serious questioning of the reliability of the halal label that is put on these products.

In this book, an effort has been made to provide the reader with some background information and insight into the processes used by the meat and poultry industry to convert live animals into human food. These pages include descriptions of the production of both non-halal and halal-certified meat and poultry products starting from the live animal through all phases of production until the final product. While describing the various phases of meat production, the critical areas where the halal-identity can be compromised in each step of the process are identified. Moreover, the procedures that should be followed to ensure that the halal chain is maintained and can be verified through all phases of production of the final product are described. Chapters 19 and 20 outline the halal meat-related issues in detail and consider how those issues may be addressed to maintain the integrity of the halal label.

The increased awareness among the readers of this book will help improve the current halal certification system, especially for the consumers of the halal-certified meat and poultry products. Historically the demands by the people have resulted in system changes. For example, the improved meat inspection system in the United States has been the result of demands by its people. More recently, major food producing companies are taking steps to improve animal welfare for the food animals. According to a report (Kansas City Star, July 8, 2015) General Mills has committed itself to 100 percent cage-free eggs for its U.S. operations, a move several other large companies have also taken recently. Wal-Mart adopted a similar policy in May 2015. Companies are also encouraging dairy suppliers to move away from dehorning milk cows, encouraging the elimination of tight confinement for pregnant sows, better pain relief for and the potential elimination of castration and tail docking for piglets, and more study of animal welfare problems associated with fast-growing breeds of broiler chickens and turkeys.

The above examples illustrate that the companies are responding to consumer demands. There is no reason why the current un-regulated halal certification system cannot be replaced by an improved one if that is what the consumers of the halal-certified meat and poultry products want.

Before writing this book, I consulted with my colleagues and received much encouragement to proceed. In addition to my education in the fields of animal husbandry, veterinary sciences, agricultural technology, and public health, I have many years of experience working in various positions in the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the federal agency that regulates the U.S. meat industry. Before that I worked in the department of animal husbandry in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government. Based on my education and work experience, I know with certainty that there is room for improving the current halal certification system.

To summarize, more than 85 percent of the food consumed in Muslim nations is imported from non-Muslim countries (Scott, 2015). Muslim nations need to take steps towards improving agricultural-related industries, encouraging livestock and poultry farming, replacing old outdated abattoirs with modern ones to meet the increased need for halal meat and poultry products, and relying less on Western import. It is timely for Islamic scholars to gather together for Ijtehad to address the issue of halal meat and to end the halal meat labeling controversy. Such measures will enhance the confidence of our future generation in the halal method of slaughtering animals, which some countries in the West are trying to ban on the grounds that it is believed to result in more pain in the animals compared to stunned animals. The use of stunning is discussed in detail in Chapter 12, but suffice it to say here that based on scientific evidence, the halal method of slaughtering animals for human food is as humane as any other method of slaughter currently in use. Once consumers understand the concept of halal and haram and the proper way of slaughtering animals under the Islamic method, they would prefer the meat that is prepared under this system.

By reading this book, you will add to your knowledge about the production of halal meat from farm to fork and also help improve the halal certification system. For example:

The livestock farmer will find out why it is important to clearly identify those animals which have been grass-fed or which have consumed feed that did not contain rendered animal products with tags. Thus, the trucker will know that those animals with certain markings or tags are intended for the production of halal meat.

Auditors of Halal Certification Organizations will obtain the information that they need to determine whether the establishment under consideration is being careful during each step and in all of the possible areas where the halal chain breakage is reasonably likely to occur. Thus, halal certification organizations can determine if an establishment’s plan is adequate to maintain the halal chain and prevent the halal product from commingling with non-halal meat. The information is not intended to suggest where those critical areas should be, but rather to ensure the usage of this information while performing the verification activities. Each establishment should design its own system for maintaining the halal chain and preventing commingling of halal products with non-halal products through all production phases of the halal-certified product.

Islamic Scholars, specifically the Religious Authority of each halal certification organization, will be able to help improve the halal certification system by asking the producing establishment to provide records for his review before signing the halal certificate for a shipment of halal-certified products destined for domestic consumption or for export to a Muslim nation.

Non-Muslim employees at slaughter and processing establishments and cold storage warehouses will learn why maintaining the halal identity of the animals, including carcasses, meat, offal, and other by-products, is important and why those products should be prevented from commingling with non-halal meat and meat by-products.

Veterinarians, Food Inspectors, Public Health Workers, and FSIS Officials can use the knowledge gained from reading this book toward better answering the question from the exporters of the halal meat and poultry products as well as from the importing countries.

Muslim Consumers will find that they can help improve the halal certification system by taking a closer look at the halal label and logo and asking the wholesaler for additional information if needed before buying the meat product marked as halal.

Works Cited

Al Qardawi, Y. (1960). The lawful and prohibited in Islam. Retrieved June 8, 2015 from www.2muslims.com/directory/Detailed/226100.shtml.

ASIDCOM. (December 2009). Survey on the halal certification agencies: French association of Muslim consumers. Retrieved May 9, 2015 from www.asidcom.org/IMG/.../Halal_Certification_agencies-ASIDCOM_survey.

Scott, A. (2015, February 8). Global mark of quality for halal food begins with Australia and New Zealand export to UAE. The National. Retrieved June 8, 2015 from www.thenational.ae/.../global-mark-of-quality-for-halal-food-begins-with-a...

Shafi, M. (2002). Maariful-ul-Qur’an (Vol 3). Karachi, Pakistan: Adaratul-Muaraf.

Staff Writer (December 8, 2012). What Muslim countries are eating? Sound Vision. Retrieved December 8, 2015 from www.soundvision.com/info/halalhealthy/halal.countries.asp.

The National. (February 9, 2015). Halal Mark will set the world standard. The National. Retrieved June 8, 2015 from www.thenational.ae/opinion/editorial/halal-mark-will-set-the-world-standard.

Withnall, A. (May 7, 2014). Halal meat: What is it and why is it so controversial? The Independent. Retrieved March 28, 2015 from www.independent.co.uk>Life>Food+Drink.

PART 1

Halal Meat

Chapter 1

Global Meat Industry

The global meat industry is a dynamically developing area in agriculture which includes production, consumption, and trade among countries throughout the world. The meat business - even the halal meat business - is not localized anymore. Meat has become a global business which plays an important role in the economy of a nation. According to a report (Walsh, 2013) livestock production contributes 40 percent of the global agricultural gross domestic product and is a source of income for more than 1.3 billion of the world’s people.

Livestock production also helps farmers of small farms in developing countries to be financially independent. It also provides them with milk, dairy products, and meat year-round, and results in many more benefits to human beings. According to the holy Qur’an:

And cattle He has created for you (men): from them ye drive warmth, and numerous benefits, and of their (meat) ye eat. And ye have a sense of pride and beauty in them as ye drive them home in the evening, and as ye lead them forth to pasture in the morning. And they carry your heavy loads to lands that ye could not (otherwise) reach except with souls distressed: for your Lord is indeed Most Kind, Most Merciful. And He has created horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and as adornment; and He has created (other) things of which ye have no knowledge. (Qur’an 16:5-8)

It is God who made cattle for you, that ye may use some for riding and some for food; and there are (other) advantages in them for you (besides); that ye may through them attain to any need (there may be) in your hearts; and on them and on ships ye are carried. (Qur’an 40:79-80)

PRODUCTION OF LOW-COST MEAT

Before we take a closer look at halal meat and the associated issues such as the integrity of the halal meat label, we need to first gain some understanding of the global meat industry, because most halal meat consumed in the Muslim nations is manufactured and imported from countries and regions such as Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, European Union, United States, and Canada. These developed countries can produce abundant low-cost meat and poultry products by making good use of their natural resources, by developing and maintaining favorable policies towards agriculture and livestock-related industries, and by harnessing scientific, technological, and innovative techniques in the production of grains and food animals. Such efforts save money on production cost so that these countries can stay competitive in the international market in providing low-cost meat to consumers around the world.

The meat industry is complex and consists of many segments. While each segment is distinct, the big companies make various segments work together. The integrated approach is designed to produce an abundant supply of meat at an affordable price. The following example can help explain this approach:

According to a report (Vincent, 2014) the structure of agriculture in Canada has changed significantly over the past 20 years or so and while the overall number of farms has decreased, they have grown larger in size. The average farm size has increased from 198 to 778 acres. As a result, the use of larger farm equipment and machinery is becoming common. Bigger tractors and combines enable farmers to produce more grain at less cost. Farmers also use no-till farming practices called one-pass seeding which causes less soil tillage while easily depositing and fertilizing the seeds. This practice results in significant savings in fuel and time for farmers. These types of practices have helped Canada, U.S., and other developed countries to produce more grains which are used for human as well as animal consumption.

In addition, the Canadian government also tries to address farmers’ concerns such as by providing farmers with the opportunity to cash in on a large harvesting of crops