Halal
What Is Halal ?
'Halal' is an Arabic word meaning 'lawful' or 'permitted'. The opposite of Halal is 'Haram', which means 'unlawful' or 'prohibited'. Halal and Haram are universal terms that apply to all facets of life. However, here we use these terms only in relation to meat and poultry products. All foods are considered Halal except the following, which are Haram:
- Pork/swine and its by-products
- Animals improperly slaughtered or dead before slaughtering
- Carrion or dead animals
- Animals killed in the name of anyone other than Allah (God), and lawful animals not slaughtered according to Islamic rites. (Fish is exempt from slaughtering).
- Carnivorous animals, and animals with fangs such as tigers, lions, cats, etc.
- Birds that have talons with which they catch their prey such as owls, eagles, etc.
- Land animals without external ears
- Animals which Islam forbids to kill such as scorpions, centipedes, rats, etc.
- Insects which Islam forbids to kill such as bees, etc.
- Animals which have toxins, poison or produce ill effects when eaten such as some fish, etc.
- Amphibian animals such as crocodiles, turtles, frogs, etc.
- Blood and blood by-products, faeces and urine, and placental tissue
- Almost all reptiles and insects, such as lice, flies, etc.
- Wine, ethyl alcohol, spirits and intoxicants such as poisonous and intoxicating plants
- Foods contaminated with any of the above products
- Foods not free from contamination while being prepared or processed with anything considered Najiis (filthy)
- Foods processed, made, produced, manufactured and /or stored using utensils, equipment and/or machinery that have been not cleansed according to Islamic Shariah Law and Islamic Rites
OUR HALAL GURANTEED
We supply only the highest quality Halal products to our customers.We only buy from those suppliers who are either HMC approved or who only deals in Halal products, to know more about our suppliers please visit the page "Our Suppliers".
Prime Halal Poultry and Meat is happy to announce that we are HMC approved and we are able to supply HMC approved products, to know more about HMC and our affiliation with HMC please visit the page "HMC".
HALAL MEAT - The Process
The slaughtering rules (dhabh in Arabic) for Halal, which are based on Islamic teachings, ethics and jurisprudence need to strictly follow the guidelines below:
- The premises, equipment and machinery must be classed according to Islamic Shariah (Law) before any production takes place
- A trained Muslim man should slaughter the animal in a licensed slaughter house with the implementation of all the hygiene and animal welfare regulations
- The slaughterman must be a mature and pious Muslim of sound mind who fully understands the fundamentals and conditions relating to Halal slaughter and must be licensed by the Meat Hygiene Service
- The animal/bird must be fed and grown on natural vegetarian diet
- The animal/bird must be alive, healthy and free from any disease or injury at the time of slaughter. This should be certified and checked by a veterinary surgeon
- The animal’s skin or fur and bird feathers must be clean prior to slaughter and free from faeces, dirt or other unhygienic substances
- The animal/bird should be fed and should not be hungry or thirsty before slaughter
- The animal should not be slaughtered in front of other animals and no blood seen so that no stress or discomfort has been caused to the animal
- The animal should be handled gently and individually
- The knife should be very sharp and clean and should not be sharpened in front of any animal before slaughter
- The Muslim slaughterman says the following before slaughtering: in the name of Allah, Allah is greatest (Bismillah, Allah Akbar)
- The cut to be done in the right anatomical position in the throat by cutting the two carotids, the two jugulars, the windpipe and the gullet, but without cutting the spinal cord
- All blood should be allowed to be drained from the carcass
- A specific time should be allowed till the animal ceases any movement
- De-feathering, de-skinning and evisceration can be done afterwards
- Any unlawful meat like pork should not contaminate Halal meat. Separate knives, equipment and utensils should be used for Halal meat
WHAT WE SAY ABOUT OUR HALAL PRODUCTS
Over the years, the value of strict standards and hygiene in all aspects of animal care, slaughtering and processing has been increasingly recognised; and these principles, collectively known as Halal, have become incorporated in the life and customs of communities.
The question most usually asked about Halal concerns the method of slaughter. All meat and poultry we process has been slaughtered strictly in accordance with Islamic rites, where one of the most important prerequisites is the humane treatment of any animal intended for human food. We believe that the concept of Halal involves the whole process of meat production, from the wholesome food fed to the animals in their rearing right through until the meat reaches the consumer. We never buy any animals or poultry which have been given feed involving meat products or GM crops.
In order to give you, our customers, the assurance of the quality of our products, we have checks and inspection throughout our whole meat handling processes.
We adhere to the Farmed Animals Welfare Council code and procedures, especially where the care and slaughter of the animals is concerned. Our processing plant is under the constant supervision not only of inspectors from the Government's own Meat Hygiene Service but also of those who are fully conversant with all aspects of Halal.In this way, we are truly "adding value" to the quality of the product you will be buying.
By following the strict precepts of Halal, we know that the meat and poultry we are producing will also be processed in the best possible way in order to meet the hygiene requirements of UK government agencies.
