Halal/ja: Difference between revisions

# Made, produced, manufactured, processed, and stored using machinery, equipment, and/or utensils that have been cleaned according to Islamic law ([[shariah]]).

# Free from any component that Muslims are prohibited from eating according to Islamic law.

The most common example of [[haram]] (non-halal) food is pork. While pork is the only meat that categorically may not be consumed by Muslims (the Quran forbids it, Surah 2:173 and 16:115) other foods not in a state of purity are also considered haram. The criteria for non-pork items include their source, the cause of the animal's death and how it was processed. The majority of Islamic scholars consider shellfish and other seafood halal. [[Vegetarian cuisine]] is halal if it does not contain [[alcoholic drink|alcohol]].

Muslims must also ensure that all foods (particularly processed foods), as well as non-food items like [[cosmetics]] and [[pharmaceuticals]], are halal. Frequently, these products contain animal by-products or other ingredients that are not permissible for Muslims to eat or use on their bodies. Foods which are not considered halal for Muslims to consume include blood and intoxicants such as [[alcoholic beverage]]s.

Several food companies offer halal processed foods and products, including halal [[foie gras]], [[spring roll]]s, [[chicken nugget]]s, [[ravioli]], [[lasagna]], [[pizza]] and [[baby food]]. Halal [[TV dinner|ready meals]] are a growing consumer market for Muslims in Britain and America and are offered by an increasing number of retailers.

Opinions on [[genetically modified crops|GMO foods]] are mixed, although there is no widely accepted prohibition from consuming them. Some clerics and scholars have expressed support, arguing that such food production methods are halal because they contribute to human well-being. Voices in opposition to GMOs argue that there is no need for genetic modification of food crops because God created everything perfectly and man does not have any right to manipulate anything that God has created. Some others have raised concern about the theoretical consumption of specific GMO foods produced using genes from pigs.

===Halal meat===

{{main|Dhabihah}}

[[File:HalalMeat.jpg|thumb|Halal meat section at a grocery store in [[Richmond Hill, Ontario|Richmond Hill]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]]]

Halal meat must come from a supplier that uses halal practices. {{transliteration|ar|[[Dhabihah|Dhabīḥah]]}} ({{lang|ar|ذَبِيْحَة}}) is the prescribed method of slaughter for all meat sources, excluding fish and other sealife, per Islamic law. This method of [[Animal slaughter|slaughtering animals]] consists of using a sharp knife to make an incision that cuts the front of the [[throat]], [[Esophagus|oesophagus]] and [[jugular vein]]s but not the [[spinal cord]]. The head of an animal that is slaughtered using halal methods should be aligned with the {{transliteration|ar|[[qiblah]]}} (the direction a Muslim faces when praying). In addition to the direction, permitted animals should be slaughtered upon utterance of the Islamic prayer "[[Basmala|Bismillah]], Allahu Akbar" (In the name of God, God is greatest).

The slaughter must be performed by a Muslim. [[Carrion]] (carcasses of dead animals, such as animals who died in the wild) cannot be eaten. Additionally, an animal that has been strangled, beaten (to death), killed by a fall, gored (to death), savaged by a beast of prey (unless finished off by a human), or sacrificed on a stone altar cannot be eaten.

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====Compatibility with other religions====

{{main|Comparison of Islamic and Jewish dietary laws|Christian dietary laws|Diet in Sikhism}}

Animals slaughtered by [[People of the Book]] ([[Jews]] and [[Christians]]) can also be considered halal if the slaughter is carried out by jugular slice, the blood drained and the name of Allah invoked. As a result, [[kosher]] meat is permitted by some Muslim communities, and is sometimes substituted for halal meat.

[[Sikhism]] forbids eating meat from animals that were [[Kutha meat|slaughtered slowly or with religious ritual]], referred to as ''kutha meat''. This includes halal meat preparation. The religiously recommended method of slaughter among [[Sikhs]], known as {{transliteration|pa|[[jhatka]]}}, is likewise incompatible with halal principles, as with this method not all of the blood is drained from the meat.

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====Concerns for animal welfare====

[[File:Jordan 2021 P355 Amman Butcher's shop.jpg|thumb|200px|A butcher shop in [[Amman]], Jordan]]

[[File:Eidpakistan.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Eid al-Adha]]'s meat distribution in Pakistan]]

[[Stunning]] of the animal is only permitted if it is necessary to calm down a violent animal. British supermarkets report the use of stunning before slaughter for halal meats. The 2011 [[UK Food Standards Agency]] figures suggest that 84% of cattle, 81% of sheep and 88% of chickens slaughtered for halal meat were stunned before they died.  [[Tesco]] says "the only difference between the halal meat it sells and other meat is that [the animal] was blessed as [it] was killed."

Concerns about animal suffering from slaughter without prior stunning has resulted in the ban of slaughter of unstunned animals in [[Denmark]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Belgium]], [[Netherlands]], [[Norway]], [[Sweden]] and [[Switzerland]].

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===Certification===

[[File:HalalIndiaCertificate.jpg|thumb|An example of a halal certificate from India]]

Certification for halal products is given by legal authorities in most [[Muslim world|Muslim-majority]] countries, while in other countries, it is voluntarily acquired by companies and issued by non-governmental organizations for an annual fee.

==== Halal certification in the US ====

Halal certifications are provided by a number of agencies in the United States. Depending on how the certification will be used for domestic or international export, the certification may need to be done by a qualified entity. If it's for domestic use a local agency with proper knowledge, training and background can issue a halal certificate. If the certificate is going to be used for export then the halal certifier needs to be accredited by the country the halal product is being exported to. A company that needs to certify its product must do their due diligence when hiring a certifier. There are a number of halal certifiers in the US including ISWA Halal; ISA Halal; Halal Monitoring Services (HMS), based out of [[Chicago]], Illinois; the Halal Food Standards Alliance of America (HFSAA), based out of [[Oakland, California]]; and [https://halalwatch.us/ Halal Watch World], based in [[New York (state)|New York]]. Another agency that can help companies identify and screen the proper halal certifier is the [https://halalexpousa.com/ushc/ US Halal Consultants] based in Fairfax, Virginia.

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==== Criticism ====

In Australia, [[Halal certification in Australia|halal food certification]] has been criticized by groups who claim that certifying foods as halal leads to consumers subsidizing a particular religious belief. [[Australian Federation of Islamic Councils]] spokesman [[Keysar Trad]] told a journalist in July 2014 that this was an attempt to exploit [[Islamophobia in Australia|anti-Muslim sentiments in Australia]]. A study in 2022 showed that halal certifications did not necessarily reflect the extent to which a halal product came about in whole, and called for greater means of assurance and transparent qualitative methods of halal certification.

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=== Business ===

The [[Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry]] estimated the global industry value of halal food consumer purchases to be $1.1 trillion in 2013, accounting for 16.6 percent of the global food and beverage market, with an annual growth of 6.9 percent. Growth regions include [[Indonesia]] ($197 million market value in 2012) and [[Turkey]] ($100 million). The [[European Union]] market for halal food has an estimated annual growth of around 15 percent and is worth an estimated $30 billion, approximately $8 billion of which are accounted for in France.

The halal food and beverage industry has also made a significant impact on supermarkets and other food business such as restaurants. French supermarkets had halal food sales totalling $210 million in 2011, a 10.5% growth from five years prior. In France, the market for halal foods is even larger than the market for other types of common foods. For example, in 2010, the market for halal foods and beverages in France was nearly twice that of organic foods. [[Auchan]], a large French supermarket chain, now sells 80 certified halal meat products, along with 30 pre-cooked halal meals and 40 frozen halal products. Upscale restaurants and catering services have also added halal foods to their menus. In addition, many beverage companies such as [[Evian]] have taken the effort to add a halal stamp on their products to show that their water and other beverages are pure and not haram or forbidden under Islamic law.

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===Interaction with global regulation===