Organic Halal Meat

Following the UK TV series by Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall interest in the Muslim community has soared in free-range and organic halal chicken. With very few butchers open to or understanding the demand for good quality and ethically-reared chicken Muslims are crying out for a transparent, fresh and organic alternative.

One company that is more in tune with these demands is Abraham Natural Produce, a small family run business in Somerset. Slaughtering all their chickens by hand they guarantee their chicken is not only free-range and/or organic but halal too.

Check out their free-range and organic halal chicken.

"Halal" is Arabic; the term is used to describe anything permissible under Islamic law (Sharia). This includes behaviour, speech, dress, conduct, manner and dietary laws.

In non-Arabic-speaking countries, the term is mostly used in the narrower context of dietary laws; what a Muslim can and can not eat.

So what makes meat halal?

The principles of halal can be split into 3 areas; 1) the actual slaughter, 2) the welfare of the animal and 3) the state of the slaughterer.

1) The Slaughter: The following procedures constitute the ideal procedure for slaughtering an animal%u2026

a) The animal is given a drink of water and is to be placed lying down facing Mecca
b) The animal must be calmed
c) The animal is not allowed to see other animals going to slaughter or being slaughtered and ideally not let to smell other animals' blood
d) The animal can at no time see the knife
e) The knife must be razor sharp
f) A prayer must be read and the intention to take the animal's life for the correct reasons must be made
g) The neck must be slit in one clean pull of the knife cutting through the skin and oesophagus right to the back of the neck
h) The animal must be held securely until all life has left it

These methods are used as they are believed to be the kindest and most effective way of slaughtering.

Stunning is not the considered as an ideal method of slaughtering but some Islamic scholars have permitted it. Therefore much of the halal meat in the world is stunned and bled just like any other meat. The only difference is that halal meat would be cut by a Muslim.

2) The Welfare: The Quran, along with the Torah and Bible, is one of the original animal rights texts. In addition, many of the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad demand that Muslims treat animals mercifully and with kindness. In one he says, "God calls for mercy in everything, so be merciful when you kill and when you slaughter: sharpen your blade to relieve its pain".

Technically speaking, Islam opposes battery and intense farming as they are seen as an exploitation of animals. Therefore from birth to death an animal should be reared and cared for in a natural and stress-free environment.

3) The State of the Slaughterer: The act of taking an animal's life is called a "sacrifice". This points to the fact that within Islam an animal's life is seen as no less worthy than any other creature's. The giving up of an animal's life is a pr

Did you know that goat meat is the most eaten meat in the world? Did you also know it is probably the most healthy meat too?

Check out this article about the health benefits of goat meat.