Halal: How Islamic Doctrines Shaped The Global Meat Industry

“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are,” French gastronome Brillat-Savarin’s pithy quote captures the essence of how food affects both individuals and societies. “What’s on the plate” is, more often than not, a symbolic representation of man’s value systems and beliefs. The choices we make regarding the foods we consume can be influenced by our ethical principles or our desire to engage in socially responsible behaviour. It is this social awareness that has given way to a new obsession with “product traceability”. The desire to know where your products are being sourced from is the hallmark of a ‘modern consumer’. Not only are they becoming increasingly conscious of the footprint that consumed goods have on human bodies but are also cognizant of its effects on the environment.

Even if we were to keep food hygiene and safety standards at bay, there have been other potent triggers that resulted in widespread food certifications across the West. Religious doctrines and customs historically manoeuvred food intake in Europe and the US through generations. Similarly, the birth of halal certification was a result of such concerns. With the gradual influx of immigrant communities into European countries (especially France and the UK) during the 20th century, food cultures began undergoing massive changes. Of the first-generation immigrants, the Muslim faction was extremely eager to preserve the culinary traditions of their respective homelands. 

As per holy scriptures in the Quran, the term ‘halal’ refers to anything ‘permissible’. An antithesis to ‘haram’ (signifying something ‘unlawful’ or ‘damaging’), ‘halal’ is a proprietary way of doing things in Islam. As a result, halal food traditions require the meat to be butchered in a specific manner, that aligns with the Quran’s instructions. The Islamic rule of slaughtering animals, known as ‘dhabiha’, involves carefully slicing the jugular vein, carotid artery and windpipe. Authentic halal procedures require cattle to be alive at the time of butchering after which all blood is allowed to drain away from the carcass, before cutting it into smaller pieces. The special techniques of butchering are the main characteristic of halal meats and it depends on the type and size of the animal. As per halal doctrines, any farm animal should be butchered by ‘nahr’, a method in which the knife is stabbed at the bottom of the throat. For smaller animals, the ‘dabh’ approach is preferred, which involves slicing the throat. The ‘aqh’ strategy is reserved to kill wild game and requires hunting the animal with a gun. 

Even though the Quran never disallowed Muslims from consuming meats prepared by ‘People of the Book’ (Jews and Christians), many immigrants felt that the food eaten by Christian communities may be ‘adulterated’ since it comes in contact with other products such as pork (strictly forbidden in Muslim cultures). Jewish butchers, who sold kosher meats, were easy alternatives for Muslims. Kosher foods complied with Jewish Shechita (dietary laws known as kashrut) and would use even stricter methods to slaughter meats. Very similar to halal ways, Jewish laws unequivocally forbade stunning animals (making them unconscious before the slaughtering process). They also banned eating certain portions of the carcass like the sciatic nerve and particular fats (prevalent in halal doctrines as well). 

As these migrant Muslims began spending larger periods in foreign lands, they consolidated lands and amassed more wealth. Their lifestyles also underwent upgrades. Initially, they would eat non-vegetarian meals only as celebratory gestures during special occasions like Eid al-Adha. But as with growing affluence, consuming meats became a marker of social and financial well-being. This, in turn, triggered a boom in Muslim slaughterhouses across France. Even though the majority culture pigeonholed them as “exotic” or “ethnic” shops, Muslim families began investing in these stores. Automatically then, the butcher’s personal reputation as a member of their community became a hall pass for fellow Muslim customers to throng such local shops. These “specialist butchers” would cut the meats in complete accordance with principles of the Quran, and some even recited prayers while killing the animal. 

This burgeoning trend accelerated dramatically in the 1990s when Europe faced a series of health crises like foot-and-mouth disease, or even the deadly mad cow disease. The meat processing industry took a hit and wholesalers as well as retailers began preferring halal options. After the price of meats plummeted, most abattoirs began getting equipped to produce halal cuts. Thus, slowly but steadily, a simple religious practice made its way into commercial food industries — even though it began as a precautionary measure to maintain hygiene in controlled environments. The increasing demand for halal certifications led to the formation of the Halal Food Authority (HFA) in 1994. The HFA is an independent non-profit body aimed towards “halal supervision, inspection, auditing, training and halal certification.” 

With the rise in conscious quality checks on food items in Europe and the US, demands for international halal standards also bolstered. One of the major players in the mushrooming of halal-certified meat was import-export economic ties between non-Muslim and Islamic countries. 

In fact, in terms of production scales, Malaysia is the world leader in halal meats. As a result, a World Halal Forum was organised by Malaysian authorities, bringing together multiple stakeholders from the halal food industries. The forum went to great lengths to ensure safeguarding the term ‘halal’ by securing a pledge from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to incorporate specific guidelines within the Codex Alimentarius. This endeavour aimed to shield the term from any misuse or improper application. 

The Malaysian International Halal Showcase, an annual halal trade show, has also consistently achieved success each year. Its primary objective is to bring together various small-scale halal agri-businesses and establish a unified halal certification model. This initiative aims not only to standardise halal practices worldwide but also to uphold the principles of fair trade and sustainability.

The halal food industry received such widespread acceptance, that the Islamic methodology is now being applied to various other items. From pharmaceuticals to cosmetics and even sweets, halal options are now flooding supermarkets and grocery stores. From anti-cruelty tags to environmentally conscious industry standards, halal items are gradually becoming an obvious alternative for aware consumers wanting to make a healthy choice.