Halal certification in Europe

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Halal meat is meat of animal slaughtered according to Quran and Sunnah and thus permitted for consumption by Muslims.

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Halal meat market is the segment of much bigger food market, which offers goods that can be deemed as halal. In the case of meat, the qualification of halal addresses the practice of slaughter, and it is therefore comparable to other credence attributes that refer to the method of production rather than to the intrinsic characteristics of the product.

Across the EU, an increasing number of religious and commercial organizations are promoting the segmentation of the halal meat market through qualification practices [1] [2] that have created an image of non-stunned meat as being of authentic halal quality.

Introduction

Across Europe, halal meat markets are experiencing a period of unprecedented growth and development, though the intensity varies from country to country. In the UK and France there has been year-on-year growth for well over a decade, while in Germany the market is just starting to develop. The growth of these markets is in some way linked to the increasing number of Muslim immigrants across Europe and to the growing consumption of meat characteristic of vertical mobility amongst second and third generation Muslims. [3] [4] Halal meat and halal animal products are increasingly available in non-ethnic stores, particularly supermarket chains and fast food restaurants, and much as Jewish diners in the US are attracting large numbers of non-Jewish consumers, so the consumption of halal meat products by non-Muslims is also increasing across Europe. [5]

Stunning issue

As the market has grown the authenticity of the halal meat sold in supermarkets and fast food restaurants has also been questioned by some Muslims, who have reacted against the practice of stunning and the use of mechanical blades (in the case of poultry) allowed in the halal standards adopted by these economic actors.

Dispute between Muslims emerge from debates about the origins of Islam, which Muslims believe are derived from two sources — the Quran and Sunnah. While the Quran provides a detailed and, for some, infallible source of information about the origins of Islam, the Sunnah provides an account based on the application of the principles established in the Qur'an through the lived experience of the prophet Mohammed, as recorded in the Hadiths. Two prescriptive sets of guidelines for halal slaughter follow from these sources, and it is the underlying discourses as they are now interpreted on which current debate and controversy about the authenticity of halal meat stands.

The first position is based on an understanding that all people of the Book share common slaughter practices and that Muslims can therefore consume meat from animals reared and slaughtered by Jews and Christians as well as by Muslims. Closely aligned with mainstream science and animal welfare/rights concerns, this position is based on EU legislation for the protection of animals at time of killing, [6] which requires all animals to be made unconscious by stunning prior to slaughter. However, this legislation is interpreted in different ways by different halal certification bodies. According to the Halal Food Authority (HFA) in the UK, poultry (chickens, turkeys and ducks) can only be immobilised prior to slaughter using electric water baths, while ovine animals (lamb, sheep and goat) can only be stunned using electric tongs. The majority of bovine animals (cattle, bull, cow and ox) in the UK are stunned with a captive-bolt pistol, but this is not permitted by the HFA because of the risk that it may kill the animal. [7]

The second position, which emerges from a derogation of the above legislation, allows EU member states to grant slaughterhouses that supply Muslim and Jewish communities an exception from the requirement to stun animals prior to slaughter in line with the religious freedoms granted by Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. [8]

While all Islamic specialists agree that halal meat must emerge from the act of slaughter, adherents of this position, common amongst Sunni Muslims, argue that the status of halal meat is linked more directly to Islam and to traditional halal practices. On this account, Muslims are only permitted to consume the meat of an animal if the method of stunning used is reversible (i.e. animals are unconscious but still alive at the time of slaughter), the animal has been blessed by a Muslim prior to slaughter and the blood is allowed to drain completely post-slaughter. If this is not the case, the meat produced is rendered Haram (forbidden) rather than Halal (permitted). [9] [3] The main area of concern is with the perceived risk that instead of being made unconscious by stunning animals will suffer or be killed.

It is this controversy about the effectiveness of stunning that drives competition to define what is and is not authentic halal amongst certifying bodies.

Halal meat market by country

United Kingdom

The Muslim population in the UK is very diverse, thought the vast majority have roots in South Asia, particularly Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. The population has increased rapidly over the last decade; between 2004 and 2008 it was reported to have grown by more than 500,000 to around 2.4 million, a growth rate ten times faster than the rest of society. [10] The market for halal meat is also growing at a significant rate, with the Halal Food Authority (HFA), the major halal certifying body in the UK, estimating a 30% growth in 2006 alone. However, there is still a great deal of resistance to buying fresh halal meat at supermarkets and it has been estimated that around 70-80% of all halal meat in the UK is fake. [11] Although things are starting to change as supermarket sales increase, many Muslims still prefer to buy fresh meat from independent retailers, who are seen to offer trust in the face of growing concerns about the authenticity of the commercial forms of halal meat that have emerged alongside market growth. [12] [13]

As the UK's oldest and largest certification body, the HFA has been at the centre of much of the recent debate and controversy created by market expansion. Set up in 1994 to regulate halal meat through the licensing of slaughterhouses, the HFA emerged just as halal was becoming an important aspect of Muslim identity in the UK. [14] Prior to this, many Muslims considered meat sold in mainstream retail outlets to be produced by people of the Book and therefore suitable for consumption.

France

France has the largest Muslim population in Europe. In 2000 official sources suggested that there were four million French Muslims, but more recently a figure of seven million has been put forward. [15] Most French Muslim's have links with the Maghreb in North Africa, though there are also large numbers from West Africa and Turkey. [16] The French market for halal meat has been growing steadily since the 1970s, but much like the UK market it has grown rapidly over the last decade as halal has become central to the religious and cultural identity of many young Muslims. Unlike the UK, however, where the vast majority of halal slaughter is performed with pre-stunning, in France most halal slaughter is performed with no stunning. Notwithstanding these differences, the problems that have emerged as the halal market has expanded are very similar; market growth is currently estimated to stand at around 15% annually, with the market valued at between 3 and 5 billion euros. [17] Research participants suggested that calls for better certification have also intensified during this period, and much like the UK this trend is reflected in the marketing strategies of French supermarket and fast food chains.

French market is huge and hard to define and there is a widespread feeling that it is in a mess. Consumers are increasingly warned about unlabelled halal meat and there have been rumours that as much as 90% of commercial halal meat is fake. [18] Certification is sometimes presented as the solution to these problems, but it has been estimated that there may be as many as 50 separate halal labels and certification schemes operating across France.

Germany

Germany has a population of more than 82 million, of whom approximately 4% are Muslim of Turkish origin. Although things are starting to change, the German halal meat market is still in its infancy compared to the UK and French markets. Debate about the authenticity of commercial forms of halal meat has only recently intensified as consumer concerns about animal welfare have forced the Aldi and Lidl supermarket chains to think through the implications of selling halal meat. [19] Consequently, as an executive from Germany's major certification body — the Halal Quality Control (HQC) www.hqc.eu and European Halal Certification Institute (EHZ) — pointed out, because German consumers are not overly concerned about the expansion of the halal market at the present time, debate about the merits of pre-stunned and non-stunned meat has not emerged to the same extent as it has done elsewhere.

While the German market remains underdeveloped compared to the UK and French markets, it is starting to get more attention from international producers and certification agencies. The German Federation of Turkish Wholesalers and Retailers recently claimed that German companies would be well advised to embrace the halal market, [19] while the Malaysian National News Agency Bernama has also drawn attention to the potential the German market offers Malaysian producers. [20] How long it takes for the market to grow as it has done elsewhere depends, it appears, on the take up of these opportunities by halal entrepreneurs and on the ongoing attempt to foster halal standardization. [21]

Norway

The majority of Norway's 72,000 Muslims live in the capital city Oslo; most are of Pakistani origin, though immigration from Somalia has recently increased. [22] Animal welfare standards in Norway are widely regarded as the highest in the world; [23] unlike the EU, where the derogation of EU legislation for the protection of animals at the time of killing allows minority groups to practice stunning without slaughter in line with their own cultural traditions, under Norwegian law it is a requirement that all animals are stunned prior to slaughter. While the Jewish population still import kosher meat to bypass this stringent regulation, collaboration between the Muslim community and the Norwegian food authorities has facilitated an ongoing process of halal standardization that has been beneficial for everyone concerned. [21] Unlike the EU countries discussed above, the grocery sector in Norway is horizontally rather than vertically integrated, with manufacturers and farmer's cooperatives rather than retailers dominating. The major producer of halal meat in Norway is the farmer's cooperative Nortura. As well as selling carcasses and cuts of halal meat in the marketplace, Nortura also supply processed halal products through their own-label halal brand Alfathi, which they purchased outright from a Somali entrepreneur in 2006. Prior to this, the owner of Alfathi worked with the Norwegian Islamic Council to find a slaughtering method that different Muslim groups could agree on, and which the Norwegian Food Safety Authority would validate. As the latter was not interested in dialogue, this was a difficult task and it took over two years to convince Norway's Imams that Alfathi halal was trustworthy. Eventually a small number of Imams travelled to Nortura's abattoir to observe production procedures and soon afterwards a method of slaughter acceptable to all parties was agreed. With the Imams operating as certifiers of halal meat in their own communities trust began to grow and a small range of processed halal products began to appear in Norwegian supermarkets. Dialogue has continued over recent years, primarily over the introduction of halal chicken into the Norwegian market, though there are worries that the encroachment of the European market and the emergence of a more mixed Muslim population — adhering to different schools of thought — will undermine the country's high animal welfare standards and challenge the halal consensus. [21]

See also

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Kashrut is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the term that in Sephardi or Modern Hebrew is pronounced kashér, meaning "fit". Food that may not be consumed, however, is deemed treif, also spelled treyf. In case of objects the opposite of kosher is pasúl

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slaughterhouse</span> Facility where animals are slaughtered for meat

In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir, is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a meat-packing facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic dietary laws</span> Islamic jurisprudence positions on food

Islamic dietary laws are laws that Muslims follow in their diet. Islamic jurisprudence specifies which foods are halal and which are haram. The dietary laws are found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, as well as in collections of traditions attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halal</span> Islamic term for "permissible" things

Halal is an Arabic word that translates to 'permissible' in English. In the Quran, the term halal is contrasted with the term haram. This binary opposition was elaborated into a more complex classification known as "the five decisions": mandatory, recommended, neutral, reprehensible and forbidden. Islamic jurists disagree on whether the term halal covers the first two or the first four of these categories. In recent times, Islamic movements seeking to mobilize the masses and authors writing for a popular audience have emphasized the simpler distinction of halal and haram.

Exsanguination is the loss of blood, usually leading to death. Depending upon the health of the individual, people usually die from losing half to two-thirds of their blood; a loss of roughly one-third of the blood volume is considered very serious. Even a single deep cut can warrant suturing and hospitalization, especially if trauma, a vein or artery, or another comorbidity is involved. The word comes from the Latin 'sanguis', meaning blood.

<i>Shechita</i> Ritual slaughter of an animal in Jewish law

In Judaism, shechita is ritual slaughtering of certain mammals and birds for food according to kashrut.

Kosher foods are foods that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations of kashrut. The laws of kashrut apply to food derived from living creatures and kosher foods are restricted to certain types of mammals, birds and fish meeting specific criteria; the flesh of any animals that do not meet these criteria is forbidden by the dietary laws. Furthermore, kosher mammals and birds must be slaughtered according to a process known as shechita and their blood may never be consumed and must be removed from the meat by a process of salting and soaking in water for the meat to be permissible for use. All plant-based products, including fruits, vegetables, grains, herbs and spices, are intrinsically kosher, although certain produce grown in the Land of Israel is subjected to other requirements, such as tithing, before it may be consumed.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religious restrictions on the consumption of pork</span> Restrictions on the consumption of pork for religious reasons

Pork is a food taboo among Jews, Muslims, and some Christian denominations. Swine were prohibited in ancient Syria and Phoenicia, and the pig and its flesh represented a taboo observed, Strabo noted, at Comana in Pontus. A lost poem of Hermesianax, reported centuries later by the traveller Pausanias, reported an etiological myth of Attis destroyed by a supernatural boar to account for the fact that "in consequence of these events the Galatians who inhabit Pessinous do not touch pork". In Abrahamic religions, eating pig flesh is clearly forbidden by Jewish (kashrut), Islamic (halal) and Christian Adventist dietary laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhabihah</span> Animal slaughter in Islamic law

In Islamic law, dhabihah, also spelled zabiha, is the prescribed method of slaughter for halal animals. It consists of a swift, deep incision to the throat with a very sharp knife, cutting the wind pipe, jugular veins and carotid arteries on both sides but leaving the spinal cord intact. The butcher is also required to call upon the name of Allah individually for each animal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comparison of Islamic and Jewish dietary laws</span> Comparison between halal and kosher dietary laws

The Islamic dietary laws (halal) and the Jewish dietary laws are both quite detailed, and contain both points of similarity and discord. Both are the dietary laws and described in distinct religious texts: an explanation of the Islamic code of law found in the Quran and Sunnah and the Jewish code of laws found in the Torah, Talmud and Shulchan Aruch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal aspects of ritual slaughter</span>

The legal aspects of ritual slaughter include the regulation of slaughterhouses, butchers, and religious personnel involved with traditional shechita (Jewish) and dhabiha (Islamic). Regulations also may extend to butchery products sold in accordance with kashrut and halal religious law. Governments regulate ritual slaughter, primarily through legislation and administrative law. In addition, compliance with oversight of ritual slaughter is monitored by governmental agencies and, on occasion, contested in litigation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal slaughter</span> Killing of animals for human food

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Ritual slaughter is the practice of slaughtering livestock for meat in the context of a ritual. Ritual slaughter involves a prescribed practice of slaughtering an animal for food production purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nortura</span>

Nortura is a Norwegian agricultural cooperative that operates slaughterhouses and other processing plants related to meat and eggs. The company was created as a merger between Gilde Norsk Kjøtt and Prior Norge in 2006, and has head offices in Oslo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilde Norsk Kjøtt</span>

Gilde Norsk Kjøtt is a defunct Norwegian red meat processing company organised as an agricultural cooperative. The company was by far the largest processor in the country when it merged with Prior Norge in 2006 to create Nortura. The company had gradually grown together as the slaughter cooperatives in the country had merged. It was not until 2000 that the company fully merged into one legal entity. Before this it had been an association between various local slaughterhouses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfathi</span> Brand name used on halal meat

Alfathi is a brand name used by Nortura on its halal meat distributed in Norway. The meat is approved by the Islamic Council Norway. There has traditionally been a disharmony between the Norwegian food traditions and availability of halal meat, the latter often only being provided for Middle Eastern cuisine. Alfathi was created by Gilde Norsk Kjøtt in 2001 to produce typical Norwegian foods which could meet the strict slaughter restrictions within Islam. Among the products available are pizza, hamburger, meat slices and wieners. Products are of course not made from prohibited species, such as pigs and carnivores.

Halal literally means "permissible" in Arabic and refers to food items that are permissible to consume under Sharia law, whereas haram refers to any substance not permitted to consume. According to the Australian Food and Grocery Council, halal foods must be "free from any substance taken or extracted from a haram animal or ingredient ; [be] made, processed, manufactured and/or stored by using utensils, equipment and/or machinery that has been cleaned according to Islamic law ; and [be] free from contact with, or being close to, a haram substance during preparation, manufacture, processing and storage ."

Criticism of kashrut is criticism of or opposition to the laws of kashrut and/or dislike of kosher foods. Criticism of kashrut can either come from non-Jews or it can come from Jews who don't keep kosher, and it may or may not be motivated by antisemitism. In some European countries, kosher slaughter is either banned or restricted by law, often because nationalists or animal rights activists object to the practice. Certain aspects of kashrut have been alleged to promote sectarianism or racism, a claim that is rejected by Jews who keep kosher. Right-wing extremists sometimes criticize kashrut due to their belief in antisemitic canards and antisemitic conspiracy theories. In Classical Reform Judaism, the keeping of kosher has been discouraged, based on its belief that the keeping of Kosher is an unhelpful vestige of the past. In the Soviet Union, the keeping of Kosher was discouraged, due to the anti-religious and antisemitic policies of the Soviet government, and the anti-religious views of secular Jewish Communists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halal conspiracy theories</span> Conspiracy theories about halal certification

Halal conspiracy theories revolve around a series of Islamophobic conspiracy theories and hoaxes regarding halal certification in products such as food, beverages and cosmetics. The claims usually made include that the sale of halal-certified goods in stores is a precursor to the Islamization or institution of Sharia law in a non-Muslim country, that the fees paid by companies for halal certification fund Islamic terrorism, that halal slaughter for meat is cruel, unhygienic or constitutes as animal sacrifice, among others. The spread of these claims has resulted in boycotts and harassment campaigns against businesses who sell halal-certified products, most notably in Australia and India, although anti-halal boycott movements also exist in Denmark, France, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

References

  1. ↑ Callon, M., Méadel, C., Rabeharisoa, V., 2002. The economy of qualities. Economy and Society 31 (2), 194—217.
  2. ↑ Tregear, A., Arfini, F., Belletti, G., Marescotti, A., 2007. Regional foods and rural development: the role of product qualification. Journal of Rural Studies 23,12—22.
  3. 1 2 Bergeaud-Blackler, F., 2004. In: Harvey, M., McMeekin, A., Warde, A. (Eds.), Social Definitions of Halal Quality: The Case of Maghrebi Muslims in France, in Qualities of Food. Manchester University Press.
  4. ↑ Bonne, K., Verbeke, W., 2007. Religious values informing halal meat production and the control and delivery of halal credence quality. Agriculture and Human Values 25, 35—47.
  5. ↑ Campbell, H., Murcott, A., MacKenzie, A., 2011. Kosher in New York City, Halal in Aquitaine: challenging the relationship between neoliberalism and food auditing. Agriculture and Human Values 28, 67—79.
  6. ↑ The COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 93/119/EC of 22 December 1993 on the Protection of Animals at the Time of Slaughter or Killing.
  7. ↑ HFA, 2012. Halal Food Authority: Brief Guidelines for Halal Ovine. Bovine and Poultry Slaughter.
  8. ↑ Ferrari, S., Bottoni, R., 2010. Legislation Regarding Religious Slaughter in the EU Member, Candidate and Associated Countries, Dialrel Research Report.
  9. ↑ Bergeaud-Blackler, F., 2007. New challenges for Islamic ritual slaughter: a European perspective. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 33 (6), 965—980.
  10. ↑ Kerbaj, R., 2009. Muslim Population ‘Rising 10 Times Faster Than Rest of Society’. The Times.
  11. ↑ Mintel Oxygen, 2002. Report on Halal Foods UK.
  12. ↑ Fischer, J., 2010. Halal Sanatised: Health and Science in a Globalized Religious Market. In: Tidsskrift for Islamforskning — Sharia i praksis. Fatwa, forbrug og feminisme, 1.
  13. ↑ Pointing, J., Teinaz, Y., September 2004. Halal Meat and Food Crime in the UK, Paper Presented at the International Halal Food Seminar. Islamic College of Malaysia.
  14. ↑ Fischer, J., 2005. Feeding secularism: the halal market in London. Diaspora 14 (2/3).
  15. ↑ L’islam dans la République, 2006. Haut Conseil à L’intégration. Ministère de l’Intérieur.
  16. ↑ Stéphane, P., 2004. Les statuts juridiques de l’islam dans l’Union européenne. l’Institut de Recherche sur le Monde arabe et Musulman (I.R.E.M.A.M), C.N.R.S Aix-en-Provence, Marseille.
  17. ↑ SOLIS, 2010. http://www.solisfrance.com.
  18. ↑ Le Figaro, 25 February 2010. Nous avons tous déjà mange de la viande halal ou casher (We have all already eaten halal or kosher meat).
  19. 1 2 Schröder, D., 2009. Halal Is Big Business: Germany Waking up to Growing Market for Muslim Food. Spiegel Online International.
  20. ↑ Mehta, M., 2009. Germany’s Halal Market Unleashes Opportunities for Malaysian Suppliers.
  21. 1 2 3 Lever, J., Puig, M., Miele, M., Higgin, M., 2010. From the Slaughterhouse to the Consumer Transparency and Information in the Distribution of Halal and Kosher Meat, Dialrel Research Report WP 4.4
  22. ↑ Statistics Norway, 2009. http://www.ssb.no/en.
  23. ↑ Skarstad, G.A., Terragni, L., Torjussen, H., 2007. Animal welfare according to Norwegian consumers and producers: definitions and implications. International Journal of Sociology of Food and Agriculture 15 (3), 75—90.

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